By Moonlight
by Lee Black
Summary: Speaking to the snakes in Vernon's backyard had once been the highlight of Harry Potter's day. After coming to Hogwarts, though, it soon became difficult for him to imagine having to go back to such a life.
1. Prologue

Pretend there's a disclaimer here.

I know, another one. What can I say? I was in the middle of class, listening to my teacher talking about a twenty-five page paper that's due around midterms, and I started writing. After that, I had a few more ideas and the plotbunny just sort of gained a life of its own. Based on what I've got so far (which really isn't much), this will eventually be slash, and it will deal with Dark! Harry.

As of this point, I don't have any intentions of abandoning any of my stories, no matter how long it's been since they've been updated. I'm going to try to update at least one of my stories every week.

Other than that, enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated.

There is a reference to child abuse in this chapter, so be forewarned.

**Prologue**

As he squirmed on the stool, he could feel the eyes of everyone in the hall watching him. Not just because he was one of the many new students, but because his name happened to be Harry Potter, and he was apparently famous in this new world.

He clenched his eyes shut and did his best to wait for whatever was supposed to happen to happen.

Looking back now, everything had happened so fast that it seemed like a blur.

He knew that, on the morning of his eleventh birthday, Vernon had received a letter that had angered him. Vernon receiving mail wasn't a rare thing, but this letter in particular had been delivered by an owl, of all creatures. When Harry had asked about the letter, and the owl that had delivered it, Vernon had locked him in the basement and Harry hadn't been allowed to eat for three days.

And then, one afternoon, about a month after the letter had arrived, everything changed.

Vernon was off at work, and an impossibly large man had come to the house to take Harry away. He'd found Harry in the back garden, and it was only by chance that the man, who'd introduced himself as Hagrid, hadn't heard him speaking to the young black snakes that had taken shelter in the overgrown bushes along the back fence.

The giant had taken him away, telling him that he was something called a wizard, and that he was going to take Harry to get supplies so he could attend a school called Hogwarts. He'd then taken Harry into a marketplace called Diagon Alley. Harry had found himself the victim of stares and whispers from adults and children alike, and he found it incredibly unpleasant. Instead, he chose to hide against Hagrid as best he could, keeping a tight hold on the sleeve of the man's coat.

In the Alley, they'd visited a few places that Harry recognized - a bank with small, shriveled creatures called goblins and a bookshop that Harry had wanted to spend more time in. The other shops, and there were about half a dozen of them, were completely foreign to him.

He'd gone into one shop without Hagrid and spoken with a man called Ollivander. The older man had told him he had a great deal of potential. Harry had tried out a number of wands, but the only one that had reacted positively was an eleven inch holly wand, with a phoenix feather core. Ollivander had reacted oddly to his choice of wand, and had told Harry that his wand was the brother to a Dark Lord's wand. He still wasn't sure what that meant, so until it became important, Harry would just ignore that fact.

The last shop they went to, though, was what was most interesting to Harry. He'd gone in to get fitted for his new school robes and he'd met a blond boy about his age. Their conversation was pleasant enough, despite Harry's general silence, and it seemed that both boys parted as tentative friends. The boy's father had shown up as Harry finished his conversation with the shop owner, a Madame Malkin, and when he was back at Hagrid's side, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been cornered by a predator.

All that had happened the day after his eleventh birthday, and once they'd finished shopping and had gone back to Vernon's house on Privet Drive, it was almost eight at night.

By then, Vernon had been home for a few hours, and he'd been furious that Harry hadn't had dinner ready when he'd made it home an hour ago. When he saw that Harry was accompanied by the giant, his anger had only gotten worse, but he'd hidden it very well. Eleven years of getting angry at Harry had taught him a number of tricks. After all, it wouldn't do to have the neighbors asking questions.

No, Vernon had learned well how to hide his tracks. So he'd played nice with Hagrid, even though he made no attempt to hide his disdain for the man.

Hagrid only left after Vernon promised to take Harry to an impossible station in King's Cross. When the door had shut behind the man, Vernon had gone off on Harry - even going so far as to bring out the belt. Harry hadn't been able to move properly for the rest of the week.

Now, though, everything had changed. He was sitting on a hard wooden stool in the center of a large hall and he had an old, oddly-shaped hat on his head. Everyone in the hall was watching his every move, and they were paying such close attention because his name was Harry Potter.

Truth be told, he much rather preferred the familiar struggles of Vernon's house and his cupboard. He fidgeted a bit and clenched his eyes shut tighter, wishing he could just disappear. Wishing that he could find a way back to Privet Drive, that he could just-

_I'd rather you not think that, young man. As disheartening as your past has been, you reek of power and I hope you would know better than to squander such potential._

Harry jumped slightly at the sound of a voice in his head. "Hello?" he asked quietly, his voice barely audible. "Is someone there?"

_You needn't speak aloud, boy. Merely direct your thoughts to me._

Harry nodded slightly. _What are you?_

_I am the Sorting Hat, boy, and you have taken up quite a bit of time recounting memories that you'd best try to put behind you. You are in our world, and Fate has plans for you. I will try not to leave you unprepared. Given your upbringing, I can think of only one house that would properly prepare you for what lies ahead. And so, it is to be _"SLYTHERIN!"

The last word was yelled so that everyone in the hall could hear, and as it echoed, silence reigned in the hall.

_You've been paying attention, boy. Don't try to play dumb_, the Hat said when Harry didn't move. _Go off to the Slythering table, and make sure that you are prepared for anything that you may come across. As I said, Fate has plans for you, and not all of what awaits you will be pleasant._

Harry nodded again and stood up. He took the Hat off and set it back on the stool before heading to the Slytherin table.

Still, no one showed any signs of reacting to the sorting. A few of the Slytherins nodded to him, though, as he walked over to their table. Not sure how to respond, Harry just offered them a fleeting smile before making his way to an empty spot at the end of the table, near where the other first year Slytherins were sitting.

When he sat down and looked around, the rest of the hall seemed to come back to life. The stern Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and called out the name of the next child to be sorted. The students who were already seated went back to their conversations, and the hall slowly went back to normal.

As the rest of the Sorting continued, and all throughout dinner, Harry found himself the subject of a number of stares. Most of them didn't bother him, but the Headmaster's repeated stares and the looks from one of the other professors, a man in all black with a hook nose, sallow skin and a sour expression, quickly unnerved him and Harry found himself wondering, as he finished eating the meager portions he'd put on his plate, if he would be able to run far enough away to escape the two men's stares.

In the end, he did nothing more than eat his food and listen to the conversations taking place near him. He didn't engage anyone with more than a nod or a slight smile, though.

Once the meal was over, he stood and, along with the other first year Slytherins, followed the sixth year prefect down to the Slytherin Nest, as he'd learned it was called.

The older Slytherins had already made themselves comfortable in the Common Room, and they all watched with masked amusement as the first years were shown into their rooms.

Harry was sharing a dorm room with the five other first year boys.

As soon as the door shut behind them, the others started talking almost excitedly with each other. Harry himself said nothing, choosing instead to observe as the others talked and started claiming their beds.

Soon, the only bed left was against the far wall, almost in a corner. Harry carefully made his way over to the bed, wondering what could happen.

"Hey, Potter!" one of the boys called suddenly.

Harry was only barely able to stop himself from flinching as he turned to speak to the boy.

It was the blond boy from the clothing shop. He thrust his hand out to Harry, who hesitated for a moment before taking it. "I'm Draco Malfoy," he said.

Harry nodded. "We met in Diagon Alley this summer," he said, reminding himself to speak only in English.

Draco smirked. "Yes. I wanted to welcome you to Slytherin," he said. "You'll fit in well here," he said.

"Thank you," Harry said. He looked around at the other boys, a few of whom had come closer after Draco had introduced himself to Harry.

"Have you met anyone else yet?"

"There was a redheaded boy and a girl with bushy hair on the train who tried to take my picture, but they were both sorted into Gryffindor," Harry said.

Draco frowned. "They're going to be more trouble than they're worth. The Weasleys are blood traitors and the girl was a Mudblood," he said. "You'll find better friends here, I guarantee it," he added.

Harry just stayed silent, not entirely sure how to react.

"This is Blaise Zabini," Draco said, pointing to a tall, dark-skinned boy. The boy nodded to Harry but didn't say anything. Instead, he headed over to his bed and sat down. He picked up a book and started reading it, ignoring the rest of the boys in the room.

"And Theo Nott," Draco said. This time he pointed to a taller boy, with black hair and black eyes. He offered Harry a smirk, and Harry almost immediately found himself thinking that the boy reminded him of one of the rabbits he'd seen in Vernon's backyard. He smiled back at the boy.

"It's nice to meet you, Potter," Theo said. He walked up and held out his hand to Harry, who took it. "You're a bit different than I expected."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're quieter. More refined," he said. "You've got an interesting accent, as well. I haven't heard it before."

Harry smiled slightly. "Thank you, I think," he said.

Theo just nodded, though he kept watching Harry with an almost excited look in his eyes.

Draco smirked. "And the others are Vince Crabbe and Greg Goyle," he said, pointing to the last two boys. Both of them were large, bulky boys, and they grunted a greeting to Harry before going over to their beds and making themselves comfortable. They traded a few chocolate frogs before opening them up and eating them.

"Where have you been living?" Theo asked. "My father was willing to take you in, and I know the Malfoys would have done the same."

Harry shrugged. "I've been staying with my uncle," he said.

"Your uncle?" Draco asked. "Is he a Squib?"

"No," Harry said.

"A Muggle, then?" Theo asked, his expression closing off. "You've been staying with a Muggle? Why?"

"Hagrid told me that my magical guardian thought it was best for me to stay with my family," Harry said. "That I'd be safer there," he said. As he admitted that, he was unable to stop himself from clenching his hands into fists. The action didn't go unnoticed by either boy, but fortunately, neither of them said anything.

"So how much do you know about our world?" Theo asked.

"Not enough," Harry admitted.

Both Theo and Draco frowned, and it looked like Theo was about to say something, but the door opened before he could speak again.

The professor in all black, the man who'd been glaring daggers at him during dinner, walked in. He looked around the room, a sneer forming when he saw Harry standing next to Draco. "I am Professor Snape," he said in a nasally voice. "I am the Head of Slytherin House, and I am also the Potions professor here," he said. "Before I start, do you have any questions?"

No one said anything.

"Good," Snape said. "Now, tomorrow morning, you will all receive your schedules. I expect you to show up promptly for each class, and I do not want to hear that any of you are slacking off in your studies. The other professors will come to me if any of you are acting out," he said.

"Do we get to choose any of our classes?" Blaise asked, looking up from his book.

"Not until your second year," Snape said. "If your grades allow it, some of the professors may recommend certain classes to you. You will have to work hard to get those recommendations." He looked around the room. "There is a rivalry between our house and the Gryffindors. Only a few instances have escalated into outright physical violence. If any of the Gryffindors lash out at you and you require help, you can come to me and I'll keep the issue private if you'd like."

Harry frowned slightly. Maybe he would be able to ask the Professor for help. He just didn't know how to go about asking for it, and he had no intention of cornering himself with a man who didn't seem to like him.

"If you decide to participate in the rivalry, I can only advise you not to get caught," Snape said as he looked around the room. He pinned another glare on Harry before looking away. "If you've got any questions, ask one of the upper years to come find me."

None of the boys moved or said anything, and Snape seemed to approve of that. He nodded to them and left the room, closing it quietly behind himself.

When he was gone, Draco muttered something under his breath before heading over to the bed that he'd claimed for himself. He quickly changed into a pair of silk pajamas and pulled the drapes around his bed shut.

Most of the other boys followed suit a few minutes later, and soon, all but two of the beds were occupied with the drapes drawn shut.

Theo, though, stayed close to Harry. "You aren't going to traipse around like some uneducated Mudblood. I won't have it," he said quietly, inspecting Harry closely.

"Will you teach me, then?" Harry asked. He eyed Theo warily but didn't move from his spot. He didn't appreciate the inspection, but a voice in the back of his head told him that moving now would signify his weakness.

"I suppose I should," Theo said. "We'll start in the morning," he said as he moved over to his bed, which, by chance, was the one next to Harry's bed. He set his wand on the nightstand and pulled a pair of pajamas out of his trunk. "And by the time I'm done, you're going to act like you've been raised with my family," he said.

Harry just nodded, watching as Theo changed.

"Aren't you going to change?" Theo asked as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

Harry flushed red and looked down at his clothes. "I don't have anything else. Just these and my school robes," he said, his voice barely audible. "My uncle didn't like to spend too much money on me," he added when Theo scowled at his answer.

"You're about my size. You can have these for now," Theo said, handing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to Harry. "And you can wear some of my extra clothes tomorrow, too. I'll Owl my mother and have her send some clothes for you."

"Thank you," Harry said, his face getting redder.

Theo nodded. He watched for a moment as Harry started to change. He opened his mouth to say something when he noticed the medley of bruises on Harry's arms and back, and the marks on his back that looked like he'd been belted, but when he saw the tears falling from behind Harry's glasses, he chose to stay silent.

Harry felt Theo's eyes on him as he quickly changed and he turned his back on the boy, momentarily forgetting the lash marks on his back. When the feeling of being watched intensified, he couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. Hopefully he wouldn't lose who he hoped would be his first friend because of this.

Theo was silent for a moment after Harry finished changing. "You're not going back to your uncle. Not if this is what he does to you," he said, pointing to one particularly severe bruise on Harry's left arm.

"I don't think I have a choice," he said, tugging on the hem of his shirt in a failed attempt to hide the bruise from sight.

Theo smirked. "My father is a powerful man, and if I tell him that you're in trouble and you need a safe place to go, he'll start working to make sure that happens as soon as he gets my letter. He'll probably put in the forms to adopt you," he said.

Harry stayed silent for a moment. "But it's only because of my name, isn't it?" he asked, feeling a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as the memories of the stares and whispers came back to him.

"No," Theo said quietly. "Not entirely, anyway. This is the sort of thing that lands people in Azkaban for life. I could write him in the morning and let him know to start the process, if you'd like?" he asked.

"I guess," Harry said quietly. "Thank you for the clothes."

Theo nodded. "Good night," he said.

Harry offered him a small smile. "You too," he said.

An odd, almost comfortable silence settled between them before the boys decided to go to their beds. Theo pulled his drapes all the way shut, and it took a moment, but Harry folllowed suit.

He made himself comfortable on the bed, which was softer by far than his half-rotted cot in Vernon's basement. It didn't take him long to fall asleep, and soon he dreaming of hiding in a large, underground chamber, speaking with a snake far larger than the garden snakes in Vernon's backyard.


	2. Chapter 1

Hey cool, new chapter's been written. Pretend there's a disclaimer here; enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated.

Chapter 1

The next morning, Harry woke up with a start when he felt a warm hand gently touch his shoulder. He jumped slightly but opened his eyes, looking around for his attacker. He frowned when everything was blurry, but the hand left his shoulder and handed him his glasses.

Theo watched him sit up, an odd expression on his face. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, his gaze straying to one particularly vicious bruise on the younger boy's arm. It was one of the larger ones, stretching up from Harry's elbow and ending somewhere underneath the sleeve of his borrowed t-shirt.

Harry deliberately ignored the question, stretching slightly. "What time is it?"

"Just after six. You've got enough time to go take a shower before the others wake up," he said, and Harry noticed that Theo's hair was slightly damp.

"Why do you wake up so early?" Harry asked.

Theo smirked. "I wrote a letter last night, and I need to send it out to my father early if I want him to get it today," he said. "The bathroom's through the door on the right," he added.

"Thank you," Harry said. He stood up, and Theo took a small step back, looking almost like he wasn't sure if the smaller boy would be comfortable with someone being in his personal space.

"There are towels and robes in the bathroom, and I'll leave some clothes on your bed for you," he said.

Harry nodded. "Could I come to the Owlery with you?" he asked quietly.

Theo smiled slightly. "Of course," he said.

Harry smiled a bit. He didn't say anything else as he headed into the bathroom.

About half an hour later, he came out with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. The hot water in his shower had felt remarkable, and his cuts and bruises didn't hurt quite as much anymore.

Theo was sitting on his own bed, reading the first year Potions book. He looked up at Harry after a brief moment and set his book on the bed in front of him. "Do you want to talk to Professor Snape about some Healing salve? I'm sure he'd give you some if you asked," he said, standing up.

"I'll be fine," Harry said with a shrug. "They'll all be healed in a day or two anyway."

That answer had Theo scowling, but he didn't push the issue. "Since you've agreed to a crash course in proper Pureblood etiquette, we're going to start right now," he said.

Harry watched him for a moment, not sure if he should be frightened at what Theo was planning. "Alright," he said hesitantly.

"Good," Theo said with a smirk. "Now, the most important thing for you to remember right now is that appearance is crucial."

At that, Harry looked down at himself and flushed. "I don't think I'm going to be good at this, then," he said, his gaze falling to one of the longer scars on his torso.

"No, you're thinking about this the wrong way," Theo said, frowning. "You need to stay composed at all times. That's what I mean with appearance. You have to be confident, and not let anyone else affect you. Do you understand so far?" he asked.

Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I think so," he said.

Theo nodded and handed him the clothes that were resting on the top of his trunk. "Your posture is pretty good, so we'll just focus on your clothing and masking your emotions for now," he said. "Go ahead and change and then we can find our way to the Owlery."

Harry nodded, and he waited for Theo to turn around before he started to change into the new clothes. Theo had given him a complete outfit: black pants, a lightweight, dark green sweater, even a pair of briefs, socks, and a pair of black boots. He bit back his embarrassment as he quickly changed into the clothes. "Thank you," he said quietly, not quite meeting Theo's gaze.

"Don't worry about it," Theo said, pulling his own boots on. "Are you sure it fits you properly?" he asked.

"I think so," Harry said, looking down at the outfit. "And thank you for the long sleeves," he added, this time his voice barely audible.

Theo smiled a bit. "If you get too warm in it, let me know and I'll give you something else, but I figured that you wouldn't want to risk anyone else seeing the bruises," he said. Both of them were silent for a moment, neither sure how to continue the conversation from that point. When Blaise snored a bit from his bed, the sound startled the two boys. Theo flushed slightly and pulled a letter out of the pocket of his pants.

"Are we going to have enough time to get to the Owlery and back before breakfast?" Harry asked.

"Of course we are."

And with that, the two boys tucked their wands into their pockets and headed out of the Slytherin dormitory, intent on finding the Owlery.

It took them almost half an hour, and that was only after a rather amused man in a portrait had decided to give them directions. He apparently wasn't used to seeing two first year Slytherins wandering around the halls of the third floor before sunrise, and when Harry and Theo passed by him for the third time in five minutes, he'd decided to tell them which staircase would take them closest to the Owlery.

The room was enormous, filled quite literally to the rafters with owls. Most of them were sleeping, but one in particular hooted almost happily when Theo walked in. The dark grey owl flew down to land on Theo's shoulder, and it nipped gently at the boy's ear.

Harry watched the exchange with no small amount of fascination. As soon as he'd come into the room and saw the gaping window, he'd planted his back against the cleanest part of the wall that he could find, and he had no intention of moving away from that spot. He wasn't all that comfortable around heights, and as interesting as the owls were, he wasn't going to risk seeing exactly how far the ground was from this seventh floor tower.

"Harry?" Theo asked when he realized that Harry wasn't at his side. "Are you alright? Do the owls bother you?"

He shook his head, though his face was pale and his hands were clenched so tightly into fists that his knuckles had turned white. "The owls are fine. It's just, um, I just, I really don't like heights," he said quietly. "And that window is really big."

Theo seemed to understand. He nodded slightly before turning his attention back to his owl. He handed the letter to the bird, making sure that it wasn't going to fall out of the owl's grasp mid-flight, and kissed it on the head. "Get that to Father as soon as you can," he said, and right away the bird took flight. Theo watched the owl flying south, not moving an inch until he could no longer see the bird. Once the owl had disappeared into the morning fog, he turned to Harry, who offered him a brief, frightened smile.

The two of them headed silently back to the Slytherin dormitories, this time managing to avoid any delays.

They made it as far as the Common Room before they were stopped.

"It is far too early for two first years to be traipsing around the halls," Snape said as he murmured a spell that had the fire in the fireplace coming back to life with enthusiasm. Theo and Harry stopped mid-step, and Snape turned to face the two boys, his expression hardening ever so slightly when Harry edged himself behind Theo in an attempt to hide. "And of course, it would be you, Potter. You've decided to strut around the castle early, then? Make sure to make your presence known to every portrait and house elf in the castle?" he asked coldly, stalking over to them.

Harry didn't look up at the man. Instead, he started toying with the hem of his borrowed sweater and stared at his feet. Hopefully the professor would be like Vernon, and if Harry stayed quiet, Snape would get bored and leave him alone.

No such luck, apparently.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy!" Snape demanded in a tone that sounded eerily like Vernon. When Harry still didn't look at him, the older man grabbed hold of his arm and jerked it painfully upward. "As disrespectful as your father, aren't you?" he asked, squeezing Harry's arm.

Harry bit back a whine as he felt the man squeeze one of his more severe bruises, but he said nothing. He glanced at Theo, who was watching the exchange with a slightly confused look on his face, and then back up at Snape. "Let go of my arm," he said coolly. As he spoke, he felt a wave of foreign confidence rolling through his body and he straightened himself.

Snape still held onto his arm. "I expect an apology for your disrespect, Potter," the man snapped viciously, and some spittle flew from his mouth to land on Harry's cheek.

"Then I expect the same from you, sir," Harry said with a cold smirk. The wave of confidence increased enough for Harry to successfully wrench his arm out of the older man's hold. "And we weren't breaking any rules, so where we've been is irrelevant," he said before walking back into the room he shared with the other first year boys.

Theo wasn't too far behind him, and he was grinning wickedly as soon as the door was shut behind them. "I thought you said you didn't have any sort of formal upbringing," he said, looking around the room. Draco and Blaise had gone into the bathroom, but Crabbe and Goyle were still fast asleep on their beds.

"I don't," Harry said with a slight frown. "Why?" he asked as he followed Theo to their part of the room.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Theo said with a smirk. "Keep that up and you won't actually need that much instruction from me."

Harry nodded, still not entirely sure what had inspired the sudden change in his behavior or what Theo meant. He was also unsure as to where the confidence came from, as it had an interesting taste, of sorts. One that reminded him almost of dark chocolate. He looked up at Theo, realizing the other boy was waiting for him to pull on his robes and gather his books into his schoolbag.

"There's no real rush," Theo said. "We made it back from the Owlery quickly enough that we can take our time before going back to the Great Hall for breakfast."

Harry nodded again.

As he went over to his trunk and started pulling out his books, he felt another wave of the confidence run down his spine, though this time he was able to detect a sort of presence that accompanied it. He frowned a bit and did a quick mental probing, trying to see where or what the presence was.

_There is no need to fear, child_, came a quiet, hissed voice inside his head.

Harry's eyes widened, but he quickly smothered any other signs of reacting to the voice. Maybe he'd imagined it. He hadn't slept well, after all, and his mind could have been playing tricks on him. It wouldn't have been the first time.

A sibilant laughter that wasn't his echoed through his head. _Rest assured, child, I am no hallucination. Nor do I pose a danger to you. I've been with you since you were very young, child, and I know everything that you have gone through in your young life. I wasn't able to speak while you were kept among the Muggles, but now that you are surrounded by magic, I can feel myself awakening_.

Maybe he could speak with whoever it was the same way that he'd spoken with the Sorting Hat. _You've been sleeping?_

_In a manner of speaking, yes_, the voice said, and Harry got the distinct feeling that the voice was male. _I give you my word that I will not harm you, and I will do what I can to protect you now that I am more than a powerless observer._

Harry nodded slightly, not sure if the voice would be able to recognize his acknowledgment of their promise. Just to be safe, he took a deep, steadying breath. _Thank you_.

There was no response, but Harry got the distinct impression of amusement from the part of his mind where voice came from. The foreign presence soon faded away enough that Harry wasn't able to feel it as much, but it was enough for Harry to know that it was still there.

"Harry?" Theo asked suddenly, pulling Harry out of his mind.

The younger boy looked up at Theo as he shoved the last of his books into his bag.

"How attached are you to your hair and glasses?" Theo asked, once again adopting a smirk. The calculating look in his eyes unnerved Harry slightly, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just shrugged. "Not really, I suppose," he said after a moment. "Why?"

"Follow me," Theo said. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the dorm room.

Harry scowled slightly but followed the taller boy.

They only headed down the hall, to the door to the first year girls' room. Theo knocked and stepped back - it was common knowledge that there were spells preventing boys from going into the girls' rooms without express permission, and it seemed Theo was taking no chances. He and Harry weren't kept waiting long, and soon the door opened to reveal a pretty blonde girl.

"Daphne," Theo said. "Do you have a few minutes to spare?"

"Just a few," the girl, Daphne, said. She glanced back into her room and frowned before motioning for Theo to step back. When he did so, she noticed Harry standing there, looking confused and slightly scared. "Taking on charity cases, Theo?" she asked, looking Harry over with a slight frown. "I didn't think you were the type."

Theo shrugged. "He hasn't been properly educated in the ways of our world and he asked me to teach him," he said.

She was silent for a long moment before she smirked. "And you decided to seek me out before breakfast to tell me as much?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I was hoping for your help," he said, tugging lightly on Harry's hair, which reached to the middle of his back. "This part is a bit out of my experience."

Daphne laughed quietly and stepped aside. "Come in, both of you," she said. "We'll figure something out."

Theo nodded his thanks and headed inside. Harry hesitated only briefly before following him.

Once the door was shut behind them, Daphne looked over at Harry. "Allow me to make up for Theo. I'm Daphne Greengrass," she said.

"Harry Potter," he said with a slight, nervous smile.

"Oh I know," she said. "Now, how do you normally wear your hair?"

Harry shrugged, not sure how to answer the question. Feeling like he was being cornered, his eyes flicked to Theo, hoping he would help.

When their eyes met, Theo frowned. He stepped closer to Daphne and spoke quietly with her. Harry couldn't hear most of what they were saying, but he was able to make out the words "muggle" and "abuse."

As Theo stepped back, there was a look of understanding dawning over Daphne's face. She nodded decisively. "Goodbye, Theo," she said, her blue eyes flickering over to him.

"Five minutes," Theo said, a cautious look in his eyes. He took a small step back, but crossed his arms over his chest. "No more than that."

Another girl walked up from behind Daphne, still wearing her pajamas, and smirked. "You really ought to know better than to try and rush perfection," she said, glancing down at Harry before waving to the door. "Out, Nott," she added when he hesitated.

Finally, with a scowl in the new girl's direction, Theo left.

"What's Potter doing here?" the new girl asked.

"Theo asked a favor of me," Daphne said. "What do you think? A braid?"

The new girl started circling Harry, not saying anything as she continued her inspection. Finally, after about a minute, she shook her head. "It would look too feminine on him. No, best keep it simple. If he's the last one, his appearance should reflect as much," she said.

"The Potters don't have that much of a reputation, though."

"Then we'll help him build it up," she said, pinning a shrewd look on Harry. "If your fiancé is willing to help him, he can't be as bad as the rest of his family," she added.

That startled Harry out of silence. "Your fiancé?" he asked, looking up at Daphne.

She nodded, brushing a stray locke of hair behind her ears. "Our fathers arranged it when Theo and I were still in diapers. Most Pureblood families have similar arrangements. Pansy here is almost engaged to Draco," she said, picking up her schoolbag.

"Almost?" Harry asked, looking over at Pansy.

"The Malfoys are notoriously difficult and Draco is their only son, so it was only to be expected," she said with a slight frown. "My father hopes to have everything finalized before we come of age, but there's a lot left to be done before we're close."

"Am I, um, did my parents ever?" Harry asked, his voice trailing off. He wasn't sure how to phrase the question, but he also wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know the answer.

Pansy shook her head. "The Potters were blood traitors for a number of generations. They haven't engaged in the practice for over a hundred years," she said, her tone gentle enough to prevent from offending Harry but no so much that her feelings toward the Potters went unknown. "Though your magical guardian will have no doubt received plenty of proposals on your behalf, given your family and your fame. Hold still," she said, picking up a brush. She brushed all the tangles out of his hair, pulling it back into a low ponytail and tying it with a dark green ribbon. "You really ought to let me do something with your hair when we've got some free time. I'll make it a bit easier for you to manage," she added, ignoring the few bruises on Harry's neck and the top of his shoulders.

"Theo's probably going to have a cow if we stay here too much longer," Daphne said. "I'll see you in the Hall, Pansy."

She nodded. "It was good to meet you, Potter," she said. "Do come back someone, won't you?"

Not sure how to respond, he just nodded a bit and followed Daphne out of the dorm room.

Theo looked around for a moment, not saying anything. He did look impressed when Daphne had Harry turn around.

"Pansy and I are going to work with his hair when we've got some more time," she said. "But it doesn't seem like it'll take too much effort to have him looking like a proper Heir."

Harry stayed silent, not sure how to respond. He pulled his bag up over his shoulder and looked over at Theo. "Shouldn't we go to the Great Hall for breakfast?" he asked.

Theo nodded slightly. "You're going to deal with people who aren't happy about you being Sorted in with us," he said, sounding almost hesitant to bring up the topic. "You can't show any signs of reacting. Even a twitching eyebrow will give away a weakness on your part, and that's something that you can't afford. Weaknesses are going to hurt your cause, and they will be used against you if the opportunity should arise," he said. "Adopt a mask."

"A mask?" Harry asked.

"Show no emotions. Find a neutral expression and keep that on your face no matter what you're confronted with," Daphne said. "If you're confused, just watch some of the older Purebloods in Slytherin. Observation will help you learn quickly, little Lord Potter," she said with a slight smirk.

Theo chuckled quietly. "I thought I was the one with the weak heart, Daphne," he said. "Taking on charity cases and whatnot."

"Hush, you," Daphne said with an indignant look on her face - though there was the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Harry straightened himself as best he could and pulled on what he hoped was a bored look.

"Perfect," Theo said suddenly. "Keep that up and you'll be fine. Make sure you ignore everything you hear, and don't react to the stares you'll be getting," he said.

Daphne laughed quietly as she looped her arm around Theo's elbow. "Stop mothering the boy, you twit," she said. "I'm hungry and we've got to make sure that Potter has enough time to eat," she said. Without giving him the chance to respond, she started walking down the hall, pulling Theo with her. Apparently she was stronger than she looked.

Harry was quick to follow the other two, and he made sure that he wasn't walking behind them for too long. Once he was sure that he was walking beside the young couple, he took the time to look around the halls. It wasn't as bleak as it had seemed the night before, but he was much less confused. There were a number of portraits of men and women that watched them as they headed through the halls. One man in particular appeared in the background of a few portraits, and it almost seemed like he was following them, but he was being discreet enough about it that Harry couldn't really see what the man looked like. Momentarily putting the portraits out of his mind, he allowed himself to be swept up in the sheer magnificence of the castle. "This place is incredible," he breathed out quietly. Judging from the lack of response from the two others with him, they hadn't heard his admission.

_You haven't seen magnificent yet, child_, the voice said, making a sudden reappearance in Harry's mind. It was a credit to the boy's resilience that he showed no reaction, other than a slight furrowing of his brows. _Once you meet the Great Snake that resides in the Chamber, you will learn the true meaning of magnificence, and your most beautiful memory will fade into oblivion at the beauty that I will present to you_, the voice practically purred, sending an odd, uncomfortable shiver down Harry's spine. The man's tone was intimidating enough, but for him to promise such luxury was downright terrifying.

"Harry?" Daphne asked, apparently having noticed something of the boy's dilemma. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Nervous, I guess," he said.

She offered him a fleeting smile. "There's no reason for your concern," she said. "Just embrace the Slytherin that's lying dormant somewhere inside you and give yourself a chance to use your skills. The Hat wouldn't have put you with the snakes if you weren't one yourself," she said. "Besides," she added quietly as they turned a corner. "You've already done something to earn Theo's respect enough for him to help you. The other first years won't be too far behind, and once they acknowledge you properly, you'll be set," she said.

Hesitantly, and not as ready to believe her as she clearly hoped he'd be, he nodded.

_Good_, the man said. _Being aloof will help you, and take care before you accept any offers of assistance,_ he said. _You are going to be watched, and your every move will be judged by everyone around you. Prove yourself capable, but do not show your true potential until you are prepared to deal with the scrutiny such actions will beget._

Harry frowned minutely. _How do you know what my true potential is?_

_I have been with you since you were an infant, child. I'm willing to wager that I know more about you than you do yourself,_ the voice said, sounding almost smug at the statement. _And I would not have allowed myself to wither away in the mind of an inferior wizard. Your power is impressive, given your young age, and I intend to help you cultivate that power_.

Glancing over at Theo and Daphe, Harry found them engaged in a quiet conversation that had something to do with Daphne's summer trip to Iceland. Satisfied that they weren't paying too much attention to him at the moment, he went back to the conversation with the entity in his mind. _Why would you help me? Especially right after warning me not to take random offers of acceptance from Slytherins?_ he asked.

_Smart child_, the man said, and somehow he made the statement reassuring rather than patronizing. _I have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain from your success. Since I have no way of leaving your mind to regain my own body, I see no reason to disallow myself from helping to... improve your education. As I recall from my years there, Hogwarts is sorely lacking in a few key subjects that will be necessary for you to be completely successful._

Harry was silent for a moment, thinking over his choices and doing his best to ignore the fact that he could still clearly feel the man's presence in his mind as he reviewed what he'd just said. Finally, and feeling more than slightly uncomfortable with the oozing smugness he felt from the man. _What should I call you, then?_ he asked cautiously. In the seconds before the man responded, he reasoned to himself that it would be incredibly unnerving to learn from the man if he never introduced himself.

_You may call me Marvolo._

...

Breakfast had been something of an interesting affair. Harry noticed a number of glares directed at him, most of them from the table of Gryffindors on the opposite side of the Great Hall. One particular glare, coming from a redhead that Draco acerbically identified as the youngest son of the blood traitor Weasley family, had Harry a bit worried. Draco seemed to have picked up on Harry's slight concern, because he leaned closer to him and quietly promised that he would have the Slytherins keep the Weasley away from Harry. The soft smile that Draco received in response only seemed to increase the redhead's ire.

Snape had handed out the schedules for the first year Slytherins - which were, unsurprisingly, all the same. When he handed Harry his schedule, though, he'd accompanied it with a quick, sharp glare. Harry found himself unconsciously returning the look, leaving the Slytherins who'd noticed the exchange confused and intrigued. Marvolo had been positively delighted at Harry's response, mentally praising him for his refusal to be cow-towed by the Potions Master.

"Transfigurations is our first class," Theo said with a slight frown, pulling Harry out of his mind.

"Is there something bad about that?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco looked up from his schedule. "McGonagall teaches that class, and she's the Head of House for Gryffindors. I've heard that she doesn't put up with much, but the lions are usually able to get away with more than they should, according to my uncle," he said. At Harry's curious glance, Draco motioned slightly toward Snape. "He and my father are close."

"Close?" Pansy asked with a cool smirk. "You like to brag that he was at your birth, and that he's your godfather as well as your uncle," she said.

Draco seemed unaffected by the prod. "The Malfoy family does not brag," he said pointedly. "We merely have an appreciation for knowledge and power, and when we find someone with some quality that impresses us, we praise them justly and make sure that our kinship is valuable to them," he said, with a much less than subtle glance in Harry's direction.

The other boy hadn't noticed the look, as he was speaking in hushed tones with Theo about an editorial in a spare copy of _The Daily Prophet_, naming Potter the Boy-Who-Lived and urging him to make sure that his task was completed before anyone else had to die in vain. The piece, which hadn't escaped the notice of the other Slytherins - or any of the other Hogwarts students, for that matter - was written anonymously, but most of them paid no mind to it. The editor's note at the top of the article managed to quickly and efficiently explain that, due to threats of legal action, the _Prophet_ had been obligated to run the editorial and keep its author unnamed.

"It's nothing, really," Theo said. "Rubbish like that has been getting published since we were all children. You were kept out of the public eye, and your magical guardian released an official statement claiming that it was for your protection, as the Dark Lord may not be dead and would seek you out for vengeance if that was true," he said.

Harry frowned, looking down at the editorial with a growing disgust.

Marvolo was sneering at the thing, and though he didn't share his distaste with the boy, he knew that Harry could feel it lurking in the back of his mind. Hopefully the boy would adopt his Slytherin persona quickly, and then he would be able to more effectively teach him what he needed to know. There was no way the Dark Lord was truly dead, but Marvolo's years with Harry had seen the end of his hatred for the boy. No; instead, he had great plans in store for the child. It would just take some... elaborate persuasion on his part, and Harry would be like putty in his metaphorical hands.

Or, so he hoped.

"Who's my magical guardian?" Harry asked suddenly. Though the question had been quiet, and only asked to Theo, and perhaps Daphne, most of the Slytherins within hearing range fell silent.

One of the older Slytherins, a slim blond boy, leaned forward to catch Harry's attention. "You don't know?" he asked. "Your guardian is supposed to ensure that you have all the knowledge to ensure a smooth transition to Hogwarts from your safe house," he said.

Before Harry had the chance to respond, Daphne spoke up smoothly. "There were certain legal terms ignored in the case of his custody," she said, sounding every bit the well-bred young woman she was raised to be. "He hasn't disclosed how, exactly, and when I asked for more information, he merely requested privacy on the issue," she said, sending an oddly reassuring look in Harry's direction.

Theo scowled, glaring at Daphne, but remained silent. Both Draco and Blaise directed similar looks in the blonde's direction, but they too maintained their silence.

Harry, on the other hand, was completely lost. He looked between his two friends and the other first year Slytherins, not sure why Draco and Blaise were suddenly so irate with Daphne. _Marvolo? _he asked tentatively, not wanting to become so quickly dependent on the man but not sure who else to ask.

_The blonde twit just shared the fact that you suffered some kind of abuse in your home. She did it rather politely, I suppose, but it is not information that is shared in public, nor is it acceptable for someone to share the information on behalf of the victim unless they are both under certain legal obligations_, he said in snipped tones. Harry had the feeling that, if Marvolo had eyes, he too would be glaring at Daphne.

"Leave her alone," Harry said calmly. It was not a request, and the authority in the quietly uttered command did not go unnoticed. At the curious looks he got in response, Harry merely said, "It is information that would have come out soon enough, I suppose, though I hope that further discussions on this issue take place only behind the privacy of Slytherin walls."

Silence reigned for another few seconds before the Slytherins who'd been listening returned to their previous conversations. A few of them nodded slightly in Harry's direction, but nothing more was said on the topic.

Daphne looked over at Harry, a light blush staining her cheeks. "It was not my intention to share your secrets," she said quietly.

Harry shrugged. "Don't worry about it too much," he said. "Just don't let anyone else find out about it, please."

She nodded, but said nothing. She looked down at her plate of half-eaten eggs, the flush still on her face.

_Well done, boy_, Marvolo said with an unmistakeable tinge of pride in his voice.

_Don't call me that_, Harry said suddenly, getting defensive at the use of that particular pet name. _Child is fine, and you're welcome to use my name, but I will not respond to you if you call me boy_.

Marvolo hummed quietly but didn't say anything for a brief moment. Then, as his presence was once again fading to be only barely noticeable, he chuckled. _Your wish is but my command, little Lord_, he purred before falling completely silent.

Not hungry any more, Harry pushed his plate away and looked over at Theo. "I'm going to get my Transfigurations book," he said quietly. "I'll meet you in the classroom."

Theo nodded, still working on his breakfast.

As Harry stood and left the Great Hall, his departure did not go unnoticed.

A small group of students watched his every movement, and as soon as the doors shut behind him, they rose almost in unison and followed the petite Slytherin.

Harry didn't make it too far into the dungeons before he found himself suddenly surrounded and shoved into an empty classroom by invisible assailants. Without thinking about it, his hand strayed to his wand. Before he had the chance to use it, though, he heard someone snarl "_Stupefy!_" and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 2

Pretend there's a disclaimer here.

So I was in the middle of working on writing a 12 paper for one of my University classes and working on the next chapter of Providence (which will hopefully be done within a week) when this little plot bunny came back and bit me on the ass. (And really, I wanted to know what happened to Harry after he got attacked - I haven't done any plotting out of this story, and apart from a basic idea of the direction I'm taking this story, I don't have any solid plans about specific plot details.)

Updates aren't going to go too much quicker, since my semester schedule is starting to pick up and I've got to focus a bit more on schoolwork. They will still happen, though, and none of my stories are abandoned.

Before I get the question (that I know is coming, as has happened with Donahue), I'm going to put it out there that this story will _more than likely_ _end up as slash_. That being said, Harry is still just 11 years old, and there's no chance that anything is going to happen until he's _way_ closer to legal.

Other than that, enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated!

Chapter 2

When Harry came to, he quickly realized that he was unable to move his arms, nor could he see anything. There was a light, soft fabric covering his eyes, blocking his sight completely. The same fabric was binding his wrists behind his back. That, the sound of a crackling fire and the leather armchair that he was sitting on had him suspicious, but a quiet, curious hissing alerted him that he wasn't in Hogwarts any more. He shifted a bit in the armchair, his curiosity overpowering his fright at stunned and removed from the castle grounds.

_Marvolo?_ he asked hesitantly, hoping the voice would have at least some answers.

He replied not verbally, but with a wave of calm that soothed Harry. _There is no need to fear. I know that serpent_, he said once Harry had started to calm down.

_Is she friendly?_ Harry asked, relaxing into the nonexistent embrace that Marvolo was sending his way.

_Likely not with you, though you are more than welcome to try and appeal to her maternal nature. She has never had a clutch of her own_. Marvolo sounded quite amused by Harry's suggestion, but when the air suddenly changed. This time there was a much Darker taste to the room, and Harry tensed slightly, as if preparing himself for a blow. _Stay calm, child. I will protect you, but you must do as I say if you wish to get back to Hogwarts alive and unharmed._

Harry nodded slightly, falling silent as he heard quiet footsteps walking closer to him. Whoever it was circled the chair, hissing quietly to the snake.

_Where am I?_ Harry asked when the new man and the snake stopped speaking.

Marvolo stayed quiet for a brief moment. _All I can tell is that you are in the presence of the Dark Lord. When he removes your blindfold, do not look him directly in the eyes, and when you speak to him, address him as Lord. And make sure you allow him to speak first, otherwise he will see it as a sign of disrespect. He did not become known as a Dark Lord for his leniency, and he will have no qualms about punishing you for any disrespect._

Without warning, his blindfold was pulled off of his face. Harry looked around a bit, doing his best to take everything in without looking too terrified.

He was in a sitting room that was a bit dark, but it was warm and Harry found it oddly comfortable. There was a large fireplace and a much larger snake stretched out in front of it. She wasn't close enough to burn herself and, almost as though she knew she was being watched, she turned her head to look over at Harry. "_What an odd hatchling,_" she said after a moment, looking up at the other person in the room. "_He looks like he'll taste good, too_."

Harry frowned slightly and looked around. He froze when he locked eyes with a cold, crimson glare, but then Marvolo repeated his warning and Harry looked abruptly down at the floor, clenching his eyes shut. _Don't look in his eyes. Don't look in his eyes._ He kept repeating the sentence over and over, hoping that he'd somehow manage to go back to the castle.

"Don't look in my eyes?" the Lord asked, taking a firm hold on Harry's chin and almost gently pulling it up so that he could look Harry in the eyes. Or, rather, he tried. Harry's eyes were still clenched shut. "Are you afraid of me, boy? You, the little wretch who supposedly has the power to destroy me?" When he was answered only by silence, the man tightened his hold on Harry's chin. "_Look at me_," he hissed, his voice suddenly calm and persuasive.

He clenched his eyes shut tighter, not wanting to obey the man.

"Do not disobey me, boy," the Lord said, his voice still calm, but he tightened his hold on Harry's chin, his fingernails digging into the boy's skin.

Finally, reluctantly, Harry opened his eyes, though he didn't look the man in the eyes. Instead, he looked at the man's nose. Or rather, his lack of a nose. "I'm not afraid," he said quietly, though both of them knew he was lying.

"I do not tolerate liars, boy," he said, though he loosened his hold on Harry's chin. "What is your name?"

"Harry Potter, Lord," Harry said after a brief pause.

"You know how to address me properly?" the Lord mused, more to himself than to Harry. "And you are wearing clothing that does not belong to you. Who has been helping you?"

"My, um, my friends, Lord," Harry said. He hesitated for a moment before carefully pulling his head back, out of the man's hold. "I don't really like being touched, Lord," he said quietly when the man arched a nonexistent eyebrow at him. "I meant no disrespect."

The Lord frowned slightly. "No, I don't suppose you did," he said quietly. He settled in the armchair opposite Harry, inspecting the boy.

Harry frowned slightly, not saying anything. He shifted uncomfortably, his hands getting sore from his bindings. After a moment, he shifted again. "Could you maybe untie me, please?" he asked after a moment. "My wrists are sore. Lord," he added quickly when the man's eyes narrowed at him. The man waved a hand almost absently and the ties disappeared. Harry pulled his arms in front of him, rubbing lightly at his wrists. Without thinking, he scratched a healing scab on his arm, pulling his sleeve up to his elbow.

"What happened to your arm?" the Lord asked, leveling a glare at the dark purple fist-shaped bruise on his arm.

"What?" Harry asked, looking down at his arm. When he saw the bruise, he flushed slightly and jerked the sleeve back down. "Nothing," he said too quickly.

In one graceful, impossibly quick movement, the Lord walked over to him and grabbed his arm, pushing his sleeve back to his shoulder. He bared his teeth, hissing quietly, when he saw not just the fist-shaped bruises, but a colorful medley of bruises in various stages of healing. "Who did this to you?" he hissed, his voice once again going eerily calm. "And I will not permit another lie from you."

Harry stayed silent, looking down at his bruises. "My uncle doesn't much care for me," he said after a long moment of hesitation. He stayed silent for another long moment before carefully pulling his arm out of the man's hold. "And he doesn't really like having to take care of me."

"_He is like you, then_," the snake hissed.

The Lord looked over at his snake. "_This brat is nothing like me_," he hissed, sounding much less than pleased.

She, as Harry got the distinct impression that it was a female snake, hissed irritably but said nothing. Instead, she moved closer to Harry, wrapping herself around the bottom of the chair and resting her head in Harry's lap.

Out of habit, Harry started petting the snake's head, smiling slightly when she let out a pleased hiss.

"_I like him_," she said, moving to make herself more comfortable. She ended up wrapping herself around Harry, keeping her head in his lap. "_His magic is like yours, too. He's very warm_," she said.

Harry looked up at the Lord, who was watching the interaction with poorly concealed interest. "The bruises will heal, Lord," he said. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I will be the one to decide that," the Lord said. "_Nagini, move. The boy and I have much to discuss, and he cannot do so properly while you are surrounding him_."

"_He seems fine_," the snake, Nagini, hissed. She lifted her head up and flickered her tongue out against Harry's chest. "_His heart has not started beating any faster, and his breathing is the same. The boy is not scared of me_," she said.

"_I am, but only a little bit. You're much bigger than me_," Harry said, unknowingly slipping into Parseltongue. As soon as he spoke, though, both Nagini and her Lord's attention was focused solely on him.

"_You Speak to snakes_?" the Lord asked.

Harry nodded, smiling slightly as Nagini butted her head affectionately against his chest and immediately claimed him "_her precious little hatchling_." He absently pressed a kiss to the top of Nagini's head. "_I've always been able to do it_," he said.

"Intriguing," the Lord said quietly, moving a bit closer to Harry. He reached out, caressing Harry's cheek before looking up at the scar on the boy's forehead. Frowning slightly, he reached up and traced it with his thumb.

As soon as the contact was made, Harry's body tensed up. There was a small part of his mind that was exploding in pain, but the much stronger presence that Harry had quickly come to know as Marvolo was thrumming with pleasure. If he didn't know any better, he would have guessed that Marvolo was purring. He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them and looking up at the Lord. "Please stop," he said quietly.

The Lord met his gaze but didn't remove his hand. "Are you in pain?" he asked, once again tracing the scar.

Harry grimaced, not sure how to explain it. "Yes and no," he said.

The older man said nothing, but the frown that was still present on his face clearly communicated his displeasure at Harry's answer. He pressed his thumb firmly against the scar, his frown deepening when Harry's eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned quietly. "Odd, that so much faith is placed in your ability to defeat me," he said almost conversationally. "When I merely need to lay one finger on you and you are defenseless against me."

"I don't like being touched, Lord," Harry said through gritted teeth as he forced himself to look back up at the Lord. "Please stop."

He hummed quietly but did as told. "You are a puzzle, boy," he said. "My touch harms you, and yet it doesn't?" he asked.

"I don't know how to explain it," Harry said, eyeing the man's hand warily. He flinched slightly when the Lord gently traced Harry's jaw again, but otherwise, he didn't react to the touch. "One part of me hurts when you touched my scar. It's in my mind, but it's not me, and it doesn't like you," Harry said, rubbing a hand against his scar. He was only mildly surprised when he saw a bit of blood on his hand, and he frowned. "Another part of my mind," he started before trailing off, a blush forming on his face. "It was happy at the contact."

_His magic and yours are of the same kind_, Marvolo said. _Tell him that. It will get his attention._

"It says that we have the same kind of magic, Lord," Harry said. He focused on his magic, as he'd practiced when he was still living with his uncle, and pulled it forward. The Lord's eyes narrowed for a moment, but Harry frowned. "I'm just trying to show you, Lord," he said. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful or threatening," he added as his magic surrounded the two of them, making Harry's hair rustle a bit.

The Lord reached out with his own magic. It surrounded Harry's magic, engulfing him. Harry smiled a bit - the contact was far from unwelcome. It made the tips of his fingers tingle, and Harry was unable to keep the smile off his face. He imagined this was what a hug felt like. The Lord suddenly pulled his magic back, away from Harry, and scowled. He looked down at Nagini, who's head was still in Harry's lap, as Harry hadn't stopped petting her. He then looked back up at Harry, an inscrutable expression on his face. "This shouldn't be possible," he muttered, clearly to himself.

"What shouldn't be possible?" Harry asked.

Marvolo came forward, making sure he had Harry's attention. _Child, allow me to speak with him_, Marvolo said quietly. _I can communicate better with him than you. I've done it before, and I know what he's talking about_.

Harry nodded and stayed passive as he felt the Darker presence of Marvolo surge forward with a vengeance and take control of his body. "You are a _fool_," he spat out in a voice that did not belong to him. It sounded almost identical to the Lord's voice - a fact that wasn't lost on either of them.

"Your insolence-"

"Is fully warranted, Voldemort," Harry snapped. As he spoke, his eyes bled red, matching the Lord's eyes perfectly. "It shouldn't be possible because you built yourself up to be _the_ Dark Lord. You had such potential, and you ended up as this- this deformed _thing_!" he snapped, gesturing at Voldemort's body. "You've set back so many of your plans, and all for half of one prophecy!" he said. As he continued speaking, Harry's tone got colder and much angrier.

When he paused to take a breath, Voldemort's eyes had narrowed to thin crimson slits. "You are not the boy," he said in an accusing voice.

"Good of you to pick up on that," Harry said, a glacial smirk on his face. "No, Tom Riddle, I am the fraction of the soul that you embedded in this boy. I am the reason you spent a decade without a body," he snapped. "And at the very least, you owe me an explanation."

At that statement, Voldemort seemed almost amused. "You are not alone in that demand," he said coolly.

"Indeed," Harry said. "The boy has suffered a great deal in his childhood. Something you are far too familiar with," he said, bringing forward the worst memories Harry had of Vernon and throwing them in Voldemort's direction. "And now that you know his true value, I expect that to be remedied. If he is forced back to that fat whale of a Muggle, I will kill him and the boy is going to end up in Azkaban because I do not intend to allow the Muggle a quick death," he said.

Voldemort leaned back, humming quietly.

"I am still loyal to our cause, Voldemort, but I have no intention of allowing this boy to suffer any longer," Harry said, his tone gentling, though only slightly. "He needs to be educated properly and trained to defend himself," he added.

"I will make the proper arrangements," Voldemort said. "Let me speak to the boy."

Harry nodded, and Marvolo quickly faded to the back of Harry's mind. He blinked, looking around. While the experience of Marvolo controlling his body wasn't all that unpleasant, Harry found himself in no rush to repeat the experience. "Did you talk to Marvolo?" he asked.

Voldemort nodded once and smirked. "I will keep you here in my Manor for the time being. Until I know that you are able to properly defend yourself against all threats, you will be kept here, where I can keep an eye on you," he said.

"No," Harry said suddenly, surprising both of them. "I want to go back to Hogwarts." He looked down at Nagini, resuming petting her. "I appreciate your offer, Lord," he said. "But I'd like to go back to school. I've even made some friends and I don't want them to think that I abandoned them," he added. "Besides, Theo lent me clothes and I don't really like being the charity case, so I have to find some way to pay him back."

"Your association will be enough to repay him," Voldemort said, his eyes narrowing at the name. "You are not to allow anyone else undue influence over you," he instructed before lapsing into silence.

Harry nodded before enjoying the surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes. "How did I get here?" he asked suddenly. "Because I read _Hogwarts, A History_ on the train and it said that it was impossible for someone to Apparate into Hogwarts."

The Lord smirked slightly. "My influence extends a great deal, little serpent," he said. "And my followers are not limited to those who have graduated Hogwarts. If I allow you to return, they will be watching your every move and reporting anything of importance back to me," he said.

"Are you really letting me go back?" Harry asked, his eyes brightening at the expression.

Voldemort was silent for another moment. "I will allow you one mistake," he said finally.

"What?" Harry asked, confused. He looked down at Nagini, who only asked that he scratch at the scales under her jaw, as she had an itch. "One mistake?"

He nodded again. "If you make one mistake that allows yourself to be vulnerable to the wrong sort of influence, then I'm bringing you back to my Manor and keeping you here until I decide that you are able to defend yourself," he said.

"Is there someone trying to hurt me? Because of Marvolo, and because we've got the same kind of magic?" Harry asked, starting to piece things together.

"There are a number of people who are seeking to take advantage of you, but one is much worse than the rest," he said.

Harry frowned slightly, his hands stilling. He ignored the irritated hiss he got from Nagini, watching the Lord almost curiously. "Who can help me?" he asked. "If you've got people inside Hogwarts who are going to be watching me, is there someone I can ask for help?" he asked.

Voldemort thought it over for a moment. "I will have one of them contact you," he said.

"How will I know it's going to be one of your people talking to me?" Harry asked. "If there are people out to get me, then wouldn't they do whatever they can to trick me?"

"They will present you with one of Nagini's fangs," he said with a slight smirk. "You may go to them if you need assistance, but do not waste their time. I cannot have my younger followers distracted from their tasks for any reasons that are not urgent," he said.

Harry shook his head. "Of course not," he said, almost offended at the notion. "Will it hurt her? Getting one of her fangs?"

"It will be uncomfortable for her, but she has given me a number of fangs and grown them back. Her venom is quite useful as well, though the fang you will receive will have been milked of anything poisonous," he said.

Harry was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "Can I go back, now? I've got Transfigurations and Theo's expecting me," he said.

Another moment of silence settled between them.

"_You really should pay more attention to me, hatchling. My master ignores me far too much as it is and I really would like it if someone appreciated my beauty_," Nagini said, pulling Harry's attention back on her. She didn't need to instruct him to start petting her again, and she hissed in appreciation when Harry hissed a quick apology and went back to petting her head.

Voldemort watched the interaction between his familiar and the boy for a moment, looking almost amused.

Nagini once again butted her head against Harry's chest. "_You will come to see me over the summer, hatchling, and you and I will sleep in the sun together and you will allow me to ensure that you are never again bruised. I don't like the way you smell of wounds_," she said.

Harry smiled, his face lighting up in innocent happiness. "_I'd like that_," he said before looking up at Voldemort. "_If you don't mind, Lord_," he added.

"_How long have you been able to Speak_?" Voldemort asked, leaning back in his chair.

"_I could talk to snakes before I spoke English_," Harry said. "_My uncle didn't want to hear me talking, and he used to hit me when I said too much, so I stayed quiet. There were always snakes in the bushes against the back fence, and they seemed really happy to talk to me_," he said.

Voldemort smiled. "Do not allow anyone else to learn that you are a Parseltongue," he said quietly, switching back to English.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Lord," he said.

"And if you find any trouble, Marvolo will help you," he said, standing up.

Harry nodded again, not saying anything for a moment. "Are you expecting me to run into any problems?"

"You were born under unique circumstances and there will always be people who want to use those circumstances to your advantages. I will not allow that to happen, but while you remain at Hogwarts, I cannot make sure that you are as protected as I would like," he said.

"I'll be careful."

Without asking for permission, Marvolo took hold of Harry's body. His eyes once again took on a crimson tint, and Voldemort frowned, wondering what else he thought needed to be said. "I will protect the boy," Harry said.

"We cannot afford dead bodies surrounding him. Nothing lethal, and do not act without his permission," Voldemort said. "Sudden changes in his behavior will not go unnoticed," he added.

Harry nodded. "I may be a fractured piece of you, Riddle, but I have been with this boy for over a decade. His mind and his magic are both powerful and he has a great deal of potential. I have no intention of doing anything to harm that potential," he said before fading back, Harry's eyes slowly fading back to his usual green color.

_Don't do that again, please_, Harry said after Marvolo had once again given control of his body back to him. _Not without asking me first, at least_.

_My apologies, little Lord_, Marvolo said before fading away almost completely.

"You are a smart child," Voldemort said, moving closer to Harry. "I expect you to show that much while you are at Hogwarts."

"You're letting me go back?" Harry asked, his eyes lighting up.

He nodded once. "As I said, I will have my younger followers keeping an eye on your every move, Harry," the Lord said, kneeling down to be closer to eye level with him. "If I so much as suspect you to be in danger, I will not hesitate kidnap you again and you will not leave my sight again."

Harry nodded, unable to stop the smile from coming over his face. "Is this what its like?" he asked.

The Lord, clearly not sure what Harry was asking about.

"Is this what its like to be part of a family? To be loved?" he asked.

The cold smirk that had the Lord's lips twitching upward would have had most people wondering how much longer they had left to live, but Harry found it oddly comforting. "I suspect it is," he said. "_Nagini, remove yourself from him_," he hissed without looking at the snake.

"_Come back soon, hatchling,_" she hissed. "_I will miss you_."

"_And I you_," he said, hugging her head and watching as she returned to her spot in front of the fireplace. "How am I supposed to get back to Hogwarts?" he asked quietly, looking up at the Lord.

"I will take care of that," he said. "I'm going to put you to sleep, and when you wake up, you must not let anyone know of this meeting. Marvolo will help to protect your memories from intrusion, but you cannot tell anyone about this," he said. "You need to start learning right now how to keep secrets."

Harry nodded. "I'll keep my silence, I promise," he said, not missing the way the Lord's magic surrounded him, hugging him tightly before dissipating a bit.

"Very good, child," the Lord said. "_Impress me_," he hissed, and for the second time in less than an hour, everything in Harry's world suddenly went black.


	4. Chapter 3

Alrighty, the usual. Pretend there's a disclaimer here.

The internet has kind of been out at my apartment for about a week now, and it's really starting to get annoying. (It's not like I have a class where I need to do weekly research on the internet at all.) And two of my roommates are acting like assholes about it, which is great. (They've got the two routers in our apartment, and they've been changing the password or just unplugging them completely so I can't use it. Fun, right? Especially when I'm the only one washing their week-old dishes and emptying the garbage can that's got their broken glass in it.)

Anyway, I've found myself with more free time than usual, so I've been writing for Moonlight in between trying to work on homework. Things are going to start picking up, but a few chapters are coming where there will be time jumps. (The big shit starts to happen a few years from this chapter, and I'm looking forward to getting to it.)

Other than that, enjoy! (and feedback is always loved!)

Chapter 3

This time when Harry woke up, he found himself laying on one of the leather couches in the Slytherin Common Room. He could feel the warmth from the fireplace in front of him and he almost sighed. Bits of Voldemort's magic was still tingling pleasantly under his skin, and that feeling, along with the warmth of the fire, had him feeling happier than he could ever remember. He opened his eyes, wincing and groaning quietly when the light from the Common Room proved too bright for him, and shut them again. His head was killing him.

"Oh, you're awake?" a female voice asked. "Wait a few minutes before you open your eyes. You're going to be disoriented from that much traveling so quickly, and if you force yourself to acclimate sooner, you might end up vomiting," she said.

Harry nodded slightly and took a few deep breaths. As he did so, the feel of Voldemort's magic disappeared and, frowning a bit at the sudden loneliness that accompanied the loss. Finally, when the ache in his head subsided, he opened his eyes again. This time, the light wasn't too intense and he moved to sit up, only to find a hand pressing lightly on his chest.

"Not yet," the same woman said. "Drink this first. It'll get rid of any dizziness or nausea from your trips," she said, pressing a small vial of cherry-red liquid into his hand.

Harry nodded again and did as told. "It tastes like apples," he said, slowly sitting up.

The young woman nodded. "There's an additive potion that I add to most of Professor Snape's potions, because otherwise they taste like shit," she said with a slight smirk. "How are you feeling?"

"My arms are sore," he said quietly, looking her over.

She had a lithe build and olive-colored skin, just a bit darker than Blaise's coloring, and her long, dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a light grey dress under her school robes, with ballet shoes. What struck Harry the most was how tall she was, for a female. She had to be almost as tall as Professor Snape, and he was around six feet tall. When the young woman noticed the forming frown on Harry's face, her brows furrowed slightly and she leaned closer to him. She was watching Harry's every move with calm charcoal eyes. "Just your arms?" she asked, looking at his wrists. "Your wrists are a bit red. Did he hex you?"

Harry shook his head. "They're just sore," he said, rubbing his wrists lightly. "Am I late for class?"

"You got back early, actually," she said. "It's about the same time that you left the Great Hall. Maybe a few minutes earlier, but not many."

Harry frowned, not sure what to think.

"He is a kind Lord when he's not disobeyed or disrespected," she said. At the glare Harry leveled on her, she pulled something out of the pocket of her school robes. "I've been instructed to give you this," she said, handing Harry a translucent, pearl-colored fang. The thing was one of the longest fangs Harry had ever seen - it was longer than the length of his palm, but it was thin, and for a moment Harry wondered if he'd end up accidentally stabbing himself with the tip of it. At the base of the fang, there was a small hole, and through it was threaded a chain the same color as the fang.

"Who are you?"

"Lisette Rookwood," she said. "I'm in the sixth year," she added. "Can you stand up?"

"I think so," Harry said, shifting a bit before getting off the couch and standing up. He looked at the fang for a moment longer before fastening the chain attached to it around his neck. As soon as he clasped it shut, the chain grew warm and the clasp itself disappeared. Harry looked up at Lisette, silently asking questions.

"It's a protective charm to make sure the necklace isn't stolen and that it doesn't break. Since you're the one who put the necklace on, you're going to be the only one who can take it off. It comes as a standard charm on all the necklaces sold in our world, though I've no doubt that he's made some changes to that charm," she said with a slight smirk. "Now, you've come back looking no worse than when you left, so I'm assuming that you're going to be particularly important. Come along," she said. "I'll take you to the Transfigurations classroom."

Harry nodded and made to follow her. He only made it a few steps before he frowned and started looking around the Common Room. "Where's my schoolbag?" he asked.

Lisette looked around as well, her brows furrowed. "Oh, it's on your bed, in your room," she said. "I'll wait."

Without saying anything else, Harry went into his room. His bag was on his bed, with the books he'd need for class that day - and he'd double-checked to make sure they were the correct books. Before he picked it up, he glanced down at his fang, wondering if it would be better to keep it hidden. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he tucked the fang under his shirt. The silhouette of it was visible, but only if someone was looking closely would they be able to tell exactly what it was. He grabbed his bag and headed out to the Common Room. "Are you related to the Zabinis?" he asked suddenly. "You've got the same eyes that Blaise has," he added when she frowned at the question.

"Lady Zabini is my aunt, but our families are removed from each other by two times, I think. Two or three, at least," she said. "Of course, my mother is Turkish, and the Zabinis are Italian," she added. "Do you know any of the shortcuts?"

Harry shook his head.

"I'll make a map for you. It'll come in handy later," she said with a smirk. "But for now, come with me."

After a quick five minute walk, and a shortcut through a false wall, the two of them made it to the front of the Transfiguration classroom. Lisette looked around, making sure that they were alone, before she knelt down to be closer to eye level with Harry. "If you ever need to speak with him, or if you need to pass on any information to him, I will pass it on for you," she said. "And the same will happen if he needs to contact you."

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said.

She smiled slightly. "When the Gryffindors give you shit - and they will," she said. "Make sure you make them regret ever even thinking about speaking against you."

At that, Harry grinned. "I will," he said.

"Good," Lisette said as she stood up and headed down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

Harry watched the empty hallway for a moment before heading into the classroom. He quickly chose a seat in the back corner of the left side of the room. There was a tabby cat sitting on the desk in the front of the room, and Harry found the way it was watching him unnerving. He pulled out his assigned book and started re-reading the material. He'd read through his books within a week after getting them, but it was something to take Harry's mind off of the cat watching him.

The classroom filled up slowly, with most of the Slytherins arriving early. Harry quickly found himself flanked on the right by Theo and on the left by Draco. Pansy was sitting on the desk behind Harry, and she had decided to pass the time before class started by absently playing with Harry's hair.

One of the first Gryffindors to show up was the bushy-haired girl that Draco had labeled the Mudblood. She'd looked over at Harry and smiled brightly at him in an attempt to get his attention, but his inattention to her and a cold glare from Draco had sent her to the other side of the classroom, pouting.

A few other Gryffindors had tried the same thing, only to end up sitting on the other side of the classroom.

Just a few minutes before the class started, the redhead known as Weasley barreled into the classroom. He ignored the glares that Draco and Theo sent him and leaned on the front of the desk that Harry was sitting at. He grabbed Harry's hand, trapped it between his as though to shake it, and pulled Harry halfway across the desk and into a hug. He completely missed Harry's flinch at the touch and the way Harry's body stiffened at the extended contact.

Theo didn't miss it, though, and his expression darkened slightly. "Daphne," he said quietly, quickly glancing over his shoulder at her and silently asking her a question. When she nodded, he returned his focus onto the scene in front of him.

The Weasley boy finally let go of Harry, though whether he'd done so because the hug was over or because Harry had wriggled himself out of the hold was debatable. "You're Harry Potter. My mum's always wanted to adopt you, but I kept telling her that you're _the_ Harry Potter and that I'd welcome you to our family first," he gushed eagerly, his eyes straying to the scar on Harry's forehead before he met Harry's eyes. "You're _really_ Harry Potter," he repeated, his gaze going back to Harry's scar.

"So I've been told," Harry said, his eyes narrowing when he saw the arrogant, expectant look on the boy's face. "Mostly by nosy little twats like you who can't bother themselves with common courtesy," he said, his hackles going up when he saw Weasley start to reach for his hand again. "Leave me alone," he snapped, jerking his hand out of reach.

The boy's eyes narrowed, a flush growing on his cheeks. "You rotten git! I came over to tell you how to get away from those slimy snakes and that my mum's waiting to introduce you to the proper sort!" he said loudly, ignoring Draco's quiet snort.

That had everyone's attention directed to their conversation, and Harry frowned slightly. He didn't like being the center of attention, and he was quickly growing to dislike this boy, this Weasley person. "You are aware that I _am_ one of those slimy snakes?" he asked, his eyebrow quirking up. "If not by the fact that I'm sitting with them, then by the crest that's woven into my school robes, at least. Or by the Sorting that happened last night."

"That was a mistake! The hat was obviously cursed by You-Know-Who!"

_Show this imbecile no mercy_, Marvolo all but hissed to Harry.

At the suggestion, Harry smirked suddenly, the cold expression making him seem oddly frightening for his age. "No, I don't know who, actually. I'm just so completely useless without your mum introducing me to these proper people," he said. "And I'm complete rubbish at knowing how to function without you having welcomed me into your family. I'm ever so eternally grateful for your concern for my wellbeing," he said, his voice dripping with a sarcasm that was advanced for his eleven years.

The flush had taken over the boy's face, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Draco cut him off.

"Honestly, Weasley, you should really just quit while you're behind. There's no need for you to humiliate your family's reputation after you've done such a good job of dirtying your own," he said with a sneer.

"At least my family has a reputation! Everyone knows your father is a boot-licking Death Eater!" Ron yelled, and the classroom erupted with quiet gasps and poorly hushed whispers.

Draco, though, seemed completely unaffected by the reaction. "My father was cleared of all charges, and that's a matter of public record. Though I suppose I can't fault you for not knowing. I don't suppose you'd be able to afford both the newspaper and such properly fitted school robes," he said, casting a less than impressed look over Weasley's clean but obviously secondhand clothing. He leaned forward a bit. "And my family's reputation is well respected. We don't have to grovel at the feet of every celebrity for a scrap of attention," he said, his voice slightly hushed.

Harry smirked, genuinely amused by the rant. "But you do a wonderful job at treating me with the respect you might give anyone else," he said conversationally. "And you had the decency not to gape and paw at me like I was some beast on exhibit," he added.

Theo chuckled quietly. "There is certainly something to be said about good breeding," he said. "The Malfoys pride themselves for it, and it's well deserved," he said, looking over at Draco. "Your mother, especially, is a role model."

"She's a cow," Weasley snapped, pulling attention back to him. He'd earned a number of glares at the statement, even from some of the Gryffindors in the room. Draco, furious, had reached for his wand, but the look on Harry's face stopped him. "She gets on her knees for a Death Eater and then pretends that she's proper enough to walk around as a lady instead of the inbred whore she really is," he all but snarled, spittle flying from his mouth.

That had more than one Slytherin reaching for their wand, and Harry took a moment to be impressed at the respect they all had for Draco's mother before standing up. He pulled his wand out of the pocket of his trousers and pressed the tip of it to Weasley's chest. "Where I was raised," he started, casually enough. "It's incredibly disrespectful to speak ill of someone's mother, no matter how much you dislike the person. Like, I can call you an unintelligent idiot who's worth less than the flies that eat dog shit, and it'll be perfectly fine. But if I go further and tell you that your mother should have stopped popping out brats when she could no longer afford to feed them all, and that she should have been spayed before she had the chance to sleep with whatever swine happens to have the misfortune of being your father, that would be unacceptable," he said, ducking a punch and pressing his wand harder into the boy's chest when he made to take another swing at him.

"I'll kill you!"

"See?" Harry asked. "Insinuating that your mother is no better than a dog rutting in the street was what pulled you over the edge. And really, it was completely unnecessary for you to have insulted Draco's mother," he said. "Especially when it's obvious that she's raised a much better job of raising her son than your mother did with you," he added. With a strength that he hadn't realized he had, Harry grabbed the back of Weasley's neck and shoved him to the desk in front of Draco. He smirked when the boy yelped in surprise and pain when he knocked his hip against the corner of the desk. "I'd say you owe Draco an apology now, and it would only be appropriate for you to draft one for his mother as well."

Draco smirked, watching Weasley expectantly.

When Weasley didn't immediately apologize, Marvolo almost eagerly supplied a mild stinging hex. Harry murmured the phrase and twitched his wand in Weasley's direction, his amusement growing when the boy started tearing up from the pain.

"I'm sorry your mother's a whore," Weasley snapped.

"Not good enough, Weasley," Draco said coldly, his eyes hard as he jabbed his wand against the boy's forehead. "And you should remember that slander like this can lead to legal problems for your family, especially when there are a classroom full of witnesses to testify," he said. "My family's solicitor hasn't had fun in a while, so I'm sure she could get creative, too."

At that, Weasley paled noticeably. "I apologize for the insults," he bit out, and though he clearly lacked sincerity, Draco smirked.

"I suppose it's the best I can expect from someone of your standing," he said before looking over at Harry. "I don't suppose you've met my mother yet?" he asked.

Harry shook his head, returning to his seat and completely ignoring the furious glare that Weasley shot in his direction before going to sit amongst his own housemates. "I've not had the pleasure, no," he said, playing along and hoping this would crush any further attempts Weasley would make at getting his attention.

"We'll have to have you over for Yule, then," he said. "I'm sure she'd be glad to help you make the proper connections in high society, if you'd like, and she prides herself for the holiday parties she hosts."

Harry smiled slightly. "I'd be honored," he said.

Before they could continue their conversation, the tabby cat hopped off the desk in the front of the room and, in seconds, had changed into the stern form of Professor McGonagall. "Thirty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin for attacking fellow students. And you, Mister Potter, will have detention for using your wand on a fellow student," she said. "You will report here at eight o'clock sharp." When Harry nodded, seeming only mildly annoyed at the inconvenience, she pursed her lips together and started to lecture about the lesson for the day.

Harry only paid attention enough to learn the spell and the wand movement, but the rest of the time he was rubbing the hand that Weasley had grabbed. The other boy had held it tight enough that he could practically feel the bruise forming. He thanked Marvolo for the stinging hex, and spent much of the rest of the class listening more to Marvolo's instructions than McGonagall's lecture.

...

The rest of the day passed in a much less uneventful manner. They only had three two-hour classes on Mondays, but unfortunately, they'd shared all of them with the Gryffindors. Weasley had glared at him the entire time, and during Charms, when Flitwick had been teaching them the _Wingardium Leviosa_ spell, he'd tried to drop a book on Harry's head. Harry's quick thinking and advice from both Marvolo and Theo had ended up with a broken nose for Weasley and ten points to Slytherin for exceptional casting - he'd levitated Weasley's chair quickly enough for the boy to fall forward and slam his face onto the stone floor of the classroom. Flitwick had merely seen it as a misdirected spell with an unnecessary amount of force behind it, though the quiet jokes Weasley had made about Flitwick's height before class had no doubt helped Harry.

After classes had finished for the day, the group of Slytherins decided to take advantage of the wonderfully nice day - weather like that wasn't going to last too much longer - and had spent most of the rest of their day outside, talking a bit about their homework and generally gossiping. It had taken to a bit of negotiation on Pansy's part, but Harry had finally relented and allowed her to put his hair in a French braid.

Dinner came with more whispers and stares in Harry's direction, no doubt from the rumors of the burgeoning rivalry between himself and Weasley. Still not appreciative of the attention, Harry excused himself early and went back to the Slytherin dorms to shower before his detention with McGonagall.

_Marvolo?_ he asked when he'd finished cleaning up and was on his way back to the Transfigurations classroom.

_Yes, child?_

_Weasley's not the sort to just glare at me and hope my head spontaneously explodes, is he?_ Harry asked.

Marvolo chuckled. _I very much doubt it. But I will not allow him to put your life in danger with any of his schemes_, he said, his voice dark with malicious promise.

_Of course not,_ Harry said, adopting a small smirk of his own. _Just please don't interfere until I ask or until I've got no other way out. I would hardly be able to impress the Dark Lord by relying too much on your help_.

_I have no intention of interfering too soon, child. I told the Dark Lord that you have potential, and I meant it. I am looking forward to seeing you put that potential into action_, Marvolo said. He faded away almost completely when Harry reached the Transfiguration classroom, where Professor McGonagall was waiting for him.


	5. Chapter 4

Okay, pretend there's a disclaimer here.

Yay! I'm a llama again! ... Wait... Just kidding, I'm back! (and I bring good news for y'all!) I've got most of my massive projects for my University classes done, so I can lay back and relax... For now, at least. Because of that, updates should happen for all the current stories within the next month. (And I'm working on a chapter for Marble that should be up by the end of the year. I get that's a long time to wait, but I'm also contemplating going back and rewriting parts of it that have been bugging me for a while. There should be more information on my profile.)

Other than that, enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated!

Chapter 4

"What time did you get back from detention?" Draco asked as he dropped onto the bench next to Harry. He eyed the smaller boy almost suspiciously, making note of the dark circles under his eyes and the tired look on the younger boy's face. "Are you alright? You look a bit sick."

"A little bit after midnight," Harry said around a yawn. "She had me read a book on etiquette," he added, deliberately ignoring the second question. He had no intention of sharing the details of the nightmares that had plagued him after he'd returned to his bed, nor did he want to share the details of the story that Marvolo had told him to calm him down from the nightmares. No, the great snake and the old library in the secret chamber would be kept just between him and Marvolo. "We've got Potions first thing, don't we?"

Draco nodded. "A double block, yeah," he said. "And then we have a free period before a double block with Defense. Both of them with the Gryffindors, unfortunately, but at least Professor Snape will keep them in line during Potions," he said.

Harry said nothing for a moment, picking up a roll and nibbling absently on it. "He doesn't like me," he said quietly.

"Understatement," Theo muttered with a grin, suddenly joining the conversation as he set down his copy of the _Prophet_ and tucked a letter into the pocket of his trousers. "You two have been glaring at each other since we went to the Owlery together," he said. "And you were bloody brilliant."

Harry flushed red and focused on eating, doing his best to ignore the looks that he got as Theo retold the story of them meeting Severus.

Just as he finished eating his roll, an owl flew into the Great Hall and landed onto the table in front of Harry. He jumped when it chirped at him and held out a leg that held two letters. Harry leaned back away from the owl, not sure what to do. The owl just waited, almost patiently, for Harry to take the letters.

"That's my mother's owl," Draco said, offering the creature a piece of bacon. When he realized that Harry wasn't moving to take the letters, he sent a dirty look in the smaller boy's direction. "Take the letter, you dimwit. Ripley isn't going to wait forever," he said, elbowing him into action.

"Ripley?" Harry asked, hesitantly reaching out to take the letters.

"She's a gift from one of our distant cousins," he said. "They named the owl after a former husband." He fed Ripley another piece of bacon as Harry took both letters and made sure that he was out of the bird's strike range. "She's not an attack owl. You've only got to worry about that from my father's owl."

Harry scowled slightly. "I'll make a note of that," he said quietly, watching as the owl flew out of the Hall.

Draco just smirked. "You're going to have to get used to it. My father isn't one to let potential allies feel neglected at all, and he's had his sights on you for a while," he said.

"But I'm only eleven years old," Harry said, unrolling the first of the letters.

"Yes, but as Weasley pointed out so tactfully during Transfigurations yesterday," Daphne said from her spot on Harry's other side. "You are _the_ Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived, who was able to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while still just an infant." She leaned over and took hold of Harry's arm, resting her head on his shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes up at him, a dreamy smile on her face. "It would be such an _honor_ to marry into the Potter family and bear you dozens of little brats," she added.

At that, Harry scowled and looked over at Theo. "I thought you said that she was engaged to you," he said.

Theo smirked around his orange juice. "She is, but her father is the type to try for a better arrangement if he can get it," he said. "Draco's father rejected the offer before Lord Nott even offered it," he added. "I'm just not sure why."

Daphne frowned and sat up. "He's done a few deals with the Weasley family in the past," she said. "He's one of the few people who really don't care about the feud, and if Weasley can do something that benefits him, my father's going to take advantage of it."

Harry nodded absently, not sure what the feud was about.

Draco obviously did, as he immediately pulled Theo into a conversation about it.

_It is a rather impressive conflict,_ Marvolo said quietly. _Though the Malfoys are not the best at explaining it to someone new._

_Who would I ask to tell me about it, then?_

_Narcissa has retained her Black family upbringing quite well, to my memory. She would be the best person to explain it to you. Bellatrix might be another person to ask, but she tends to have a tendency to embellish certain details_, he said. _Deal with it later, though, child. I want to know what the Malfoys decided to write you about_, he added quickly.

Harry nodded a bit to himself, completely missing the narrow-eyed look that Blaise landed on him. He opened the first of the letters and found himself immediately impressed by the calligraphy.

_To the young Heir Potter_, the letter started. _While we have yet to be properly introduced, my son has spoken highly of you. Of course, allowing a mother the chance to brag about her son, my young Draconis has been hoping to meet you since he found out that the two of you would be attending the same year in Hogwarts. _

_I realize that there are some expected protocols to follow when sending a letter to a young Heir, and that I am ignoring a number of them, but the Blacks have always been a rather unconventional family and I will use my blood as my excuse for now, though I will try to be more proper in our future correspondences._

_Yesterday evening, I received a number of letters from my son and his friends, as well as a preserved memory from Miss Daphne Greengrass. All of them described a rather impressive interaction between you and the youngest Weasley boy before class. _

_After reviewing the memory, I find it only appropriate to extend to you my gratitude. I am in your debt, as a Black, as a Malfoy, and as a Pureblood woman. Your defense of my honor was incredibly well done, and it is made even more impressive as we have not yet had the pleasure to meet each other face to face. _

_I would also like to extend to you an invitation to our family's Yule Celebration this year, if my son has not already had the foresight to do so._

_I look forward to meeting you and speaking in person, young Heir._

_Regards,_

_Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, Lady of House Malfoy_

Someone nudged Harry and he looked up suddenly, only to see Draco watching him curiously.

"Greengrass just decided that she was going to French braid your hair and put you in one of her dresses if you kept ignoring her, and you kept ignoring her," Draco said with a smirk. "I think a silver lace gown would favor your coloring. Daphne?"

"I'd prefer to see him in purple, actually," she said. "I've got one with a floral print, too," she added when she noticed the look on Harry's face. "Unless you'd prefer silk?"

"No thank you," he said quietly. "I was actually reading about how excited Draconis here was to meet me," he said with a sly grin in Draco's direction, laughing quietly when the Malfoy flushed red. "Your mother seems rather interesting," he added. "I think I'm looking forward to meeting her in person."

Draco scowled but didn't say anything, going back to his breakfast.

The second letter was much shorter than the other, and its calligraphy was much less delicate.

_Heir Potter_, it read.

_We have not yet had the pleasure of meeting in person, but I understand my family owes you a debt of gratitude. If it would be amenable to you and your guardians, my family would be more than willing to host you over the winter holidays. _

_I would also like to extend to you a formal invitation to our family's annual Yule Ball, which will be held on the 24th of December of this year. _

_Regardless of whether or not you accept this offer, I look forward to the chance to meet you in person, Heir Potter._

_I wish you good health, young Heir Potter._

_Regards,_

_Lucius Malfoy, Lord of House Malfoy_

Harry frowned slightly, not entirely sure what to think of the letter.

_Marvolo?_ he asked after a moment.

_It is rather interesting how forthcoming Lucius is being, really_. _The man has operated for years to build up his reputation as one of discretion and cunning,_ he said, sounding almost as confused as Harry. _This is incredibly out of character for him_.

_Maybe he was just in a hurry?_ Harry asked, frowning. When Marvolo didn't respond, he tucked both letters into his schoolbag and looked over at Draco, who was watching him almost suspiciously.

"My father invited you to our Manor, didn't he?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I don't know if I'll be allowed to come, though," he said.

"Your uncle doesn't have any say in the matter," Theo said quietly, sending Harry an odd look. "I've got to go back to our room to get my Potions book, if you'd like to join me."

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Harry nodded and followed Theo out of the Great Hall, completely ignorant of the stares that followed the two of them. Once they were on their way to their room in the Slytherin Nest, Theo started talking. "Because he's a Muggle, he has no legal grounds to dictate where you spend your winter holidays," he said quietly, so as to avoid being overheard by any potential eavesdroppers. "Your magical guardian is the one who decides where you'll spend your holidays," he added.

"But I still don't know who my guardian is," Harry said, frowning slightly.

"My father will write me back soon, and I asked him to figure out as much as he can about who's been taking care of you," Theo said. "Or who isn't taking care of you," he added with a significant glance in Harry's direction. He hesitated. "My mother wrote me this morning to tell me that he's looking into things, but it's going to take a few days. We should hear back by the end of the week," he said.

Harry nodded, looking down at the floor as they headed into the Common Room. "What if he can't find anything?" he asked.

"My father's good at what he does, and when I ask a favor of him, he's never let me down before," Theo said. "Don't worry. He'll do his best to make sure that everything is taken care of," he said.

Harry nodded again and looked around the room.

A familiar sixth year walked out of her dorm room, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She looked over at the two of them, smiling slightly when she and Harry locked gazes. "Don't be late for your class, Potter," she said. "Judging by the glares he's been sending you, Snape might even try to take points from Slytherin this morning."

He shrugged. "I'll just make sure I behave perfectly," he said with a slight smile.

Lisette chuckled quietly and left the Nest entirely.

"I didn't think you'd know any of the older students here," Theo said after they were in their dorm room. "Especially not Rookwood."

"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked, ignoring the first part of Theo's statement.

"Her father's one of the worst of the Death Eaters. They're the disciples of the Dark Lord," Theo said, locking the door behind himself and speaking in hushed tones. "My father's told me stories about him. That he's almost as dangerous as Greyback." At a blank look from Harry, he frowned. "Greyback is a werewolf who's made his name by turning children."

"Oh," Harry said quietly. "Is Rookwood's father a werewolf, then?"

Theo shook his head. "I don't think so, but my father hasn't told me the details, because he's said that it's too much for a child to be able to handle. I've heard him talking with my mother, though. He's told her that Rookwood likes to torture his victims to death, and once they're dead, he'll sleep with them," he said, looking terrified at the mere prospect.

"Is Lisette like that? His daughter?"

Theo shrugged, grabbing his Potions book and watching as Harry put the two letters he'd received from the Malfoys in his nightstand and locked it with a simple spell that they'd learned at the end of their Charms class the day before. "I don't know," he said. "But I'm not really keen on finding out," he added quietly.

Harry nodded slightly, not entirely sure what to say. "What do you think of him?"

"Him?" Theo asked, clearly confused.

"The Dark Lord. When Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley, I heard people talking about a war. A few people told me that I'd destroyed the Dark Lord when I was a child," Harry said quietly, looking down at his borrowed boots.

"I don't know. My family has been pretty much neutral in the conflict since Grindelwald was defeated," Theo said with a shrug. "I'm just going to ignore the war until I have no other choice." He was silent for a long moment. "We're both just children, anyway. There's no reason we should have to worry about something like that until we're better educated, anyway," he said.

Harry nodded. He didn't say anything for a moment, thinking things over.

_The boy has a point, I suppose,_ Marvolo said suddenly. _Though he is much less precious in this war than you_.

_Don't say that. Theo's my friend, I think_, Harry replied, feeling suddenly unsure about it.

Marvolo chuckled quietly. _He has not been allowed a private audience with the Dark Lord, and he does not have me, child. I give you my word that, once this war starts, you will be held in much higher regard than this boy_.

_He's still my friend right now_.

Marvolo didn't say anything, and he faded away a bit, though Harry could still feel the oddly-comforting presence cloaking his mind in what he supposed was Marvolo's version of a hug.

"Are you alright?" Theo asked quietly. "You just went in something of a daze."

Harry nodded. "Sorry," he said. "I've never been in any sort of war before. I was just thinking about what it would be like."

Theo smiled weakly. "We're still children, Harry," he said, almost hesitantly draping an arm around Harry's shoulders. He looked rather pleased with himself when Harry didn't flinch at the contact. "And I'll do whatever I can to protect you from being pulled into it before you're ready."

"Why?" Harry asked, the question coming out before he realized he'd wanted to ask it.

Theo frowned slightly. "We're friends, you dolt. I don't have many and I'd much rather not lose you to some kind," he said.

Harry flushed a bit and shrugged out of the hold. "We're going to be late to Potions if you stay here and confess anything else to me," he said with a smirk in Theo's direction.

Theo flushed as well but laughed as they left their rooms and headed for the Potions classroom.


	6. Chapter 5

As usual, pretend there's a disclaimer here.

Alrighty then, people. This is the start of November (and I didn't lose power from Sandy), which means I'm going to be involved in NaNoWriMo again. Since I've set a ridiculously high goal for myself this year, I'm going to be writing three stories this month (and even though it's technically cheating, I'll do my best to update at least one of the stories to boost my word count a little bit).

This chapter points to the start of things getting interesting, and while the next chapters will likely be a bit information-heavy, it will be necessary in order to move the plot along. (The plot bunny keeps biting me and I've got a basic outline for the next few chapters written down. It's just a matter of writing them out, and that's where I seem to keep running into problems.

Anyway, enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated! Cheers!

Chapter 5

The rest of the year passed relatively smoothly for Harry. There had been a few more arguments with Weasley and a few of the other Gryffindors, but after Draco had made a few rather well-placed threats about halfway through October, Weasley had made himself scarce.

Harry had turned his focus on being among the top students in the school, and he'd ended up ranked as the second best student in his year, bested by just a few grade points by a Ravenclaw named Terry Boot, who had been friendly enough with Harry. They'd met in the library a few times and had started an unofficial competition against each other. The only thing that separated them were Harry's poor marks in Potions, which he only got because he and Snape still didn't get along. The man took every opportunity to knock Harry's grade down, though he'd never actually taken points away from Slytherin.

Speaking of the Professor, Harry glanced up at the man over the top of his book. As per usual, the man was surveying the Great Hall, making sure that his Slytherins behaved. When his eyes briefly locked with Harry's, they narrowed into a glare and the man was only barely able to stop himself from sneering at Harry before he looked over at Draco.

Harry smirked to himself, ignoring the threats that Marvolo murmured quietly at the Potions Master. The man hadn't taken kindly to Snape's continued hatred of Harry, and he'd decided to help Harry succeed as much as possible in an effort to spite Snape.

_Marvolo, stop_, he said to the man, turning his attention back to the book. He'd borrowed the book from Daphne Greengrass, who'd taken it from her family's library when Harry had expressed an interest in the idea of warding. _I'm not going to be able to focus on reading the book if you keep threatening to pull Snape's brain out through his earlobes_.

_Would you rather I use some sort of acid that dissolves the bone of his skull?_ Marvolo asked knowingly, chuckling when he felt Harry's disgust at the mental image he brought up for the boy.

_I'm not above re-reading my homework again, just to get you to stop that_, Harry countered quickly, thinking back to the numerous goblin wars they'd studied for the duration of the term.

"Harry, put the book away. It's too early to be reading, and besides, it's the start of the winter holidays," Theo said with a smirk, plucking the book out of Harry's grasp. "You're a Slytherin, not a Ravenclaw," he added when Harry sent him a dirty look.

"Here," Draco said, putting a plate of French toast and orange slices in front of Harry. "You're going to have to get used to eating more than the bare minimum sometime, Potter," he said with a small smile. "And when you spend time with Pureblood families, you're going to insult the house elves if you don't eat enough," he said.

Harry frowned slightly but started eating a piece of French toast. "I'm not going to starve myself," he said quietly, his frown deepening when Theo, Draco, and Daphne all leveled disbelieving looks in his direction.

"You barely eat anything anyway," Daphne said. "If you were a girl, I'd just think that you're trying to watch your figure, but you're too young for that anyway," she said.

"I'm just not always that hungry," Harry said quietly. He looked down at his plate, not liking the current topic of conversation.

Before anyone had the chance to say something else, the owls flew into the Hall in their morning ritual of delivering the letters.

Draco's mother's owl dropped onto the table in front of Draco, followed seconds later by one of the school owls. This one, though, hopped over to Harry, holding out a small letter. After a few seconds, Harry took the letter, giving the owl a piece of bacon and watching as it flew away.

"Is everything alright?" Pansy asked quietly, reading Draco's letter over his shoulder.

Draco shook his head. "Everything is fine," he said. "My father's going to be picking me up at King's Cross and then we're going to visit my grandmother in New Zealand," he said. "My grandmother wants to talk to me about something."

Pansy frowned at that. "Your grandmother?"

"She moved into our family's estate there after she had some health problems here," he said quietly. "She's been much healthier there, and she doesn't like my mum that much."

"Why not?" Daphne asked, the curiosity showing plainly on her face.

"She had a dispute with one of the Blacks when she was going to Hogwarts, and the feud lasted until then," he said with a shrug. "It really was just about something stupid, and my grandmother knows it, but she still likes to hang on to old grudges."

Harry smiled slightly at their antics before looking down at his own letter. It was a short letter, written in a spidery scrawl that Harry had never seen before.

_Harry, my dear boy. It has come to my attention that you have made plans to leave Hogwarts with some fellow Slytherins over the winter holidays. However, a number of threats against your life have also reached my attention, so I am afraid that, as your magical guardian, I cannot permit you to be unchaperoned for the duration of your holidays. I will allow you to choose to stay here at the castle, or you may return to your home with the Dursleys. The wards in Hogwarts will keep you safe, and the blood wards that I have installed at your Aunt's home in Surrey will ensure your protection as well, though the protections at Hogwarts are much stronger and much more effective. Should you choose to remain at Hogwarts, you will have almost free reign throughout the castle. You will be allowed to use the library as much as you'd like, and you are more than welcome to go outside, as long as you stay within school grounds. I am sorry for any inconvenience, my dear boy. I assure you, though, that I am only doing what is best for you_.

"Harry?" Theo asked quietly, his attention turning to the smaller boy when he noticed the forlorn expression coming over the boy's face. "Are you alright?"

After taking a deep breath to make sure that his emotions were in check, Harry nodded. "Could I get the book back, please?" he asked. "I wanted to check something that I read in our Charms book to see if it's actually something that would work," he said.

Judging by the looks on the other first years, none of them believed the lie.

"I'm fine, Theo," Harry said, his tone more forceful.

Theo frowned, still not believing Harry. He looked at the cover of the book before leveling a look on Harry that told the smaller boy that they'd be talking about the issue in private. "Actually," he said suddenly. "I'll come with you. Warding has always fascinated me," he continued, standing up and silently daring Harry to argue with him.

Daphne snorted. "Since when?" she asked, though she fell silent when Theo sent a mild glare in her direction. "Just make sure that you're both ready to leave for the train. It leaves at one thirty, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Theo muttered before motioning for Harry to start walking. "Lead the way, Potter," he said, in a voice that only Harry could hear. That tone promised a conversation that at least one of them would not appreciate.

Harry scowled. "Fine," he muttered, folding the letter back up and shoving it into his pocket. He chanced a glance at the Head Table and frowned when he realized that both Snape and the Headmaster were watching him. The Potions professor had his usual almost-sneer on his face, but the Headmaster seemed almost worried as he watched Harry.

_The boy is trying to protect you, child_, Marvolo said. _He is providing you with the same treatment that he would a blood sibling, and you know as well as I that he thinks of you as his closest friend_. He chuckled at Harry's silence, knowing that the boy had no intention of acknowledging the reasoning. Harry had become much more confident in his time at Hogwarts, and the confidence had led to the boy's hunger for independence. _You have changed a great deal since you came here_, Marvolo said in a gentle tone. _Yet you still have very little experience when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Allow the boy some leniency when it comes to looking out for your safety_.

Harry hummed quietly but said nothing as he and Theo walked out of the Great Hall.

The two of them headed back to the Slytherin house in a comfortable silence, and only when they were sequestered behind the closed door of their dorm room did one of them break the silence.

"What happened?" Theo asked, turning on Harry with an odd expression on his face. "You looked terrified for a moment while you were reading the letter that's in your pocket right now, and then you looked almost like you were about to cry," he said.

Harry hesitated for a moment, pulling the letter out and opening it. He read through it again, just to make sure that he hadn't somehow grossly misunderstood the letter. No such luck.

"Harry?" Theo asked gently after Harry was silent for a long moment.

"It's a letter from my magical guardian," Harry started, almost reluctant to share the content of the letter.

"I'm not going to read it. What happened?"

"He didn't introduce himself, so I don't know who he is. Or she, I suppose," Harry started. "But he's apparently been keeping track of me, and he's been looking out for the people who have been wanting to kill me," he said.

"There are multiple people who want to kill you?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I suppose so," he said.

Theo frowned. "That wasn't the only thing in the letter, though, was it?" he asked.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head a bit as he glared down at the letter. "He said that I'll be safe if I stay here in the castle, but if I want to go back to my Uncle's house, he's put in blood wards that will keep me safe there."

Marvolo chuckled suddenly. _Blood wards are hardly useful when our kin has knowledge of the soul bond that ties the two of you together_, he said, finally commenting on the letter.

_I've got a soul bond with the Dark Lord_? Harry asked, frowning slightly when he looked back down at the letter in his hands. Fortunately, Theo seemed to think Harry was just upset, and he didn't seem to take Harry's behavior as anything out of the norm. _How is that possible?_

Marvolo was silent for just a few seconds. _I will explain this to you in entirety when we are somewhere safe. And alone_, he said. _I do have something wonderful to show you as well_, he added at Harry's continued confusion.

"You're not going back to that Muggle," Theo said. "I won't allow it." He did his best to keep his tone gentle, but the hard look in his eyes betrayed how strongly Theo felt about the issue.

Harry smiled slightly, shaking his head. "I'll stay here," he said. "I'll take the chance to try and sneak into the Restricted Section, maybe," he said, tossing the letter onto his bed and looking up at Theo. "I'm not going to go back to my uncle unless I'm being forced against my will, I promise," he said. "You don't need to worry about that."

Theo scowled, his mind no doubt going back to the bruises that he'd seen on Harry at the start of the term. Without any warning, he cupped Harry's face in his hands, giving the smaller boy no choice but to meet his gaze. "If anyone harms you again, Harry, I will hunt them down and end them," he said quietly, his eyes sparking in a fierce promise. "Over the break, I'm going to petition my father to apply for your guardianship. Once he gets it, whoever's supposed to be looking after you right now can never get their hands on you or manipulate you like this again," he said.

At the intensity he saw in Theo's eyes, Harry flushed bright red. "You don't have to do that," he said quietly, shifting uncomfortably. Theo's hands were a bit cold, and Harry didn't like being unable to move his head. He still didn't appreciate being touched too much, and he had serious doubts that that would ever change.

"Yes, I do have to do that," Theo hissed. He hesitated for a moment. "I've come to think of you as my little brother, Harry. I don't want to see you forced to do something that you don't want to do," he said. He pressed a light kiss to Harry's forehead. "You are my little brother and I will not stand for someone manipulating you again," he said.

Harry was silent for a long moment, completely awed by the affection and protectiveness Theo had just admitted to having. "Thank you," he said, his voice coming out as barely more than a whisper.

The door to the room opened suddenly and Crabbe and Goyle walked into the room.

Crabbe, who was quite a bit smarter than Goyle and surprisingly gifted in the Healing Arts, walked over to the two of them when he noticed Theo's hold on Harry. "'Re you hurt?" he asked in his grunting voice as he looked Harry over for any sort of injuries.

"I'm okay," Harry said, reaching up and gently pulling Theo's hands off of his face. "I'll be fine while I stay here over the holidays," he added.

Crabbe frowned. "'s it safe?" he asked, directing this question at Theo.

Theo was silent for a moment, watching Harry for a long moment. "It is," he said quietly. "I'm going to send one of our house elves to get you whatever you need over the break," he added.

Crabbe watched them for another moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied. "If you get hurt, let me know," he said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of beating someone who proved to be a threat.

Harry nodded, smiling slightly. Both he and Theo stayed silent until they were once again the only two people in the room.

After the door had closed behind the two larger boys, who'd come in to get Goyle's game of Exploding Snap!, Theo turned to look fully at Harry. "My mum's already decided that she's going to get you fitted with a proper wardrobe," he said, tugging almost playfully on the shirt Harry was wearing - a charcoal grey button down that was again something that he'd borrowed from Theo that morning. "The house elf is also going to take your measurements, and you should get your new wardrobe about a week into the holiday break," he said quietly.

Harry flushed again. "She doesn't need-"

"Harry, she wants to. After everything that I've told her about you, she's come to see you almost as her own child. Besides, I don't let her take me shopping anymore and she doesn't have any other children. She misses having someone to spoil, and you should prepare yourself," Theo said.

"For what?" Harry asked, confused.

"When you meet her, she's going to treat you like you were born into our family," Theo said with a smirk. "And if you let her have her way with things, you'll end up more spoiled than Draco," he added, sounding almost gleeful at that.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly, his blush once again returning in full. He was unable to meet the taller boy's eyes when Theo pressed another kiss to Harry's forehead.

"Don't over think things for too long," Theo said. "I'm pretty sure Daphne had a few things that she wanted to tell you before the trains leave, and she's probably going to have followed us down here." He smirked again rather suddenly. "And if things work out well enough, one of us might have the chance to break the Weasel's nose before he escapes off to his hovel," he added.

Harry smiled again and followed Theo out of the room, where, just as Theo expected, Daphne was standing on the other side of the door, waiting rather impatiently for them to emerge.

...

That afternoon, after everyone who wasn't staying at Hogwarts for the break had gone on to the train, and after the ten students who'd elected to stay at the castle had been given a stern lecture about appropriate behavior from McGonagall, Harry found himself alone in the Slytherin Common Room, wondering how exactly to spend his time. He could, of course, start on his homework, but then there was a reason he wasn't a Ravenclaw. Besides, his grades proved that he had earned at least a few days of slacking off.

_Some students would enjoy the chance to sleep, child_, Marvolo suggested after a few minutes of Harry just staring absently into the fireplace.

_I'm not really tired_, Harry replied. _And I don't like sleeping in a room alone, anyway,_ he said, thinking back to the nightmares that had plagued him all term.

Marvolo was quiet for a moment, sending a wave of calm to Harry in an effort to get him to put the nightmares out of his mind. _Let me share something with you,_ he said after a few minutes.

_Is it a bad thing?_

_Not at all. It is, in fact, the most beautiful sight that I have ever laid my eyes on_, Marvolo said. _Have a little more trust in me, child. I have no intention of leading you into harm's way_.

Harry was hesitant for a brief moment before nodding. _I do trust you, Marvolo_, he said.

_Good. For a moment I thought otherwise_, came the amused reply. _Before we go to our destination, you need to do a few things to correct your appearance, otherwise you won't receive the proper welcome for one of your standing_.

_My standing_? Harry asked.

_Kin to the Dark Lord, child. I will answer your questions when we are in a safer place. Now, I know you have been practicing your wandless magic. Show me your progress and cast a few warming charms on yourself. Your socks, especially._

Harry frowned slightly but did as told.

_I trust your boots are waterproof_?

_I think so,_ Harry replied. Before he had to be told, he cast a quick waterproofing charm on his boots. _Is there anything else_?

_Yes_, Marvolo said, sounding almost amused. _Do your very best not to attract attention, and try your hardest to avoid being followed. There is a reason I have not allowed anyone else to see the magnificence that awaits you._

Harry laughed quietly but stood up. He headed into his dorm and grabbed his wand, tucking it into his left boot.

_You are a strange child,_ Marvolo said. _And you are incredibly lucky that you have not yet spelled away your toes. When you are given the chance, you must invest in a proper holster. Now, to see the masterpiece, go to the dungeons, past your Potions classroom, and walk past three empty classrooms and the landscape painting of the misty woods. When you reach the portrait of the warrior with one arm, stop. I will give you further instructions then._

Harry grinned at that but said nothing as he left the Slytherin Nest. He looked around to see if anyone was nearby, and when he felt no one watching him, he headed down the hall, passing the empty classrooms and doing his best to stick to the shadows, just in case he'd missed someone.

_The best holsters, of course, come in dragonhide, though I expect you'll find something much better in our Chamber. The ancestor of your kin was one to ensure the wellbeing of those who carry his blood, and you are among the last of his descendants_, Marvolo said, amusing himself as Harry wandered through the halls.

_How can I be one of his descendants?_

_The soul bond is very complex, child, and there are parts of it that I do not understand myself. Are you there yet?_

Harry glanced over his shoulder to double check that he hadn't been followed before nodding. He looked up at the painting, smiling a bit when the warrior looked up at Harry and bowed to him.

"How may I be of service to you, young noble?" the painting asked, his eyes glancing at the Slytherin tie that Harry had yet to take off.

_Allow me control for a moment, child. It will be easier for you to watch than for me to give you instructions_, Marvolo said.

Harry did so without a moment of hesitation, and was pleasantly surprised when he realized he was able to see and hear what Marvolo was doing while he was in control.

"_I seek entrance to the chamber of the most noble of the Founders_," he said in Parseltongue.

Acting like he hadn't heard the request, the warrior started inspecting Harry more closely. "You are two in one body?" the warrior asked quietly.

"_The manifestation of an unintentional soul bond_," Harry said. Marvolo was sticking to Parseltongue for some reason, but it seemed like the warrior understood him. "_I seek entrance to the chamber of the most noble of the Founders._" He shifted a bit, watching the man in the portrait almost expectantly. "_I am worthy of entrance_," he added.

"_Oh I know, little serpent_," the man said, grinning wickedly. "_It has been quite a while since I have been graced with the presence of another Speaker, let alone two._" After saying that, and after Harry bowed slightly to the man in the painting, he motioned at the bottom frame of his painting. "_Press your palm to the snake, little serpent,_" he said. "_I am looking forward to speaking with you further._"

Harry nodded.

_This will hurt a bit_, Marvolo warned before pressing Harry's palm almost gently onto the wooden carving of the snake, engraved on the bottom frame of the painting.

The snake seemed to come alive and it bit Harry's palm. To his credit, Harry didn't show any reaction to the pain, though his lack of reaction concerned Marvolo a bit. After the pain receded, and after Harry had looked at his palm to check it for any wound, the portrait slid open just enough for Harry to slip inside before closing.

_Marvolo, where are we going?_

_Just to the end of the hall, child, and then I will return control of your body to you,_ Marvolo said quietly as he walked to the end of the hall. Just as he said, as they reached the end of the hall, Marvolo faded back and allowed Harry complete control, though the younger boy could still clearly feel the man's presence in the back of his mind. _Turn the corner and greet the man in the painting._

Harry nodded and did as told. He smiled when he realized that the painting was the same man, though this time, instead of wearing the dark clothes of an assassin, he was wearing dark green and silver robes of nobility. "_Hello,_" he said, losing some of his confidence when the man's intense gaze. His wine-colored eyes, which he'd only seen before on the face of the Dark Lord, seemed much more sane, though Harry was distinctly aware that he was being judged by the man.

"_You are not the same one I spoke to in the hall_," the man hissed, sounding almost friendly.

"_Marvolo has been protecting me,_" Harry said almost hesitantly. "_He showed me how to get in here._"

"_Marvolo?_" the man asked. "_I knew a boy with that name, though it has been a number of years since we've spoken_," he said.

Harry quirked a small, almost wry smile and glanced at his still bloodied palm. "_Marvolo told me that I share a soul bond with the Dark Lord_," he said, looking up at the man in the painting. "_Are you one of the Founders_?" he asked.

At that question, the man smirked and bowed mockingly to Harry. "_I am the most noble of the Founders, little serpent. My name is Salazar Slytherin, and Marvolo was the last of my living descendants. To share a soul bond with him is a great honor_," he said. "_If you have been chosen for such an honor, you are welcome to enjoy the luxuries that you will find in my chambers_," he added, motioning toward a door that Harry hadn't noticed before.

"_Thank you, sir,_" Harry said, bowing to the man. The small, approving smile he received in response to the bow had him feeling almost ridiculously pleased with himself as he headed through the door. He was immediately faced with a long hallway, and Harry frowned but headed forward down the hall. _Are we almost there, Marvolo_? he asked.

_Very close, child, and I must commend you on a job well done with the Founder. You impressed him quite a bit with the respect that you showed him. _

Harry flushed slightly but nodded. He hesitated for a long moment before turning the corner at the end of the hallway. _Is he always like that?_

_If he likes you, he will come to treat you much like he treated me. He is going to be a bit cold at first, but after you've earned his respect, you will come to like him. I give you my word on that, child_, Marvolo said quietly. _Keep your hands at your sides, turn the corner, and do not panic._

Harry took a deep breath, not entirely sure what to expect, but he did as told.

When he rounded the corner, he found himself face to face with the largest serpent that he'd ever seen. It was easily fifty feet, and at the moment it was coiled up and sleeping.

Unwilling to leave his curiosity unsatisfied, Harry took a few steps forward. His boots echoed slightly on the dark stone floor, and the sound woke the snake up.

It uncoiled a bit, enough for it to look at him. When they made eye contact, Harry felt a painful, exciting look in his eyes. The snake had bright red eyes, and it was watching Harry almost curiously.

"_How odd,_" the snake said, uncoiling a bit more and moving to surround Harry with its massive body. "_Such a small Speaker, and so brave to look upon me without fear._" It moved forward, pressing its face against Harry's stomach.

Harry hesitated for a moment, half expecting the snake to plunge it's fangs, which were easily the length of his forearm, into his body to kill and eat him. "_Are you going to hurt me?_" he asked after he'd regained the ability to speak coherently.

The snake laughed quietly. The sibilant, hissing chuckles were oddly pleasant to Harry, and he found himself relaxing a bit. "_I would never be so cruel as to harm a Speaker, little serpent. You have no reason to fear me,_" it said.

Still unsure, Harry nodded, though he didn't stop himself from resting his hands on the head of the snake and petting it.

The snake seemed to appreciate it, nudging it's head against Harry's hands when he slowed the petting.

_Harry,_ Marvolo said, sounding incredibly pleased with himself. _It is my great privilege and honor to introduce you to one of my first and oldest friends. His name is Ophion._

"_Ophion?_" Harry asked aloud.

The snake laughed again. "_And such a smart little serpent to have so quickly learned my name_," he said.

"_Marvolo told me_," Harry admitted shyly, flushing bright red when he found the snake once again eyeing him.

"_Marvolo? I have missed that Speaker, though the castle tells me he has gone on to do great things for our world_," Ophion hissed. "_And you, little serpent, what is your name?_"

"_Harry. My name is Harry,_" he said, scowling when, with a move faster than Harry had thought possible for the large snake, Ophion tripped Harry so that he fell into the snake's coils.

"_It is a pleasure to meet you, little serpent,_" Ophion said. "_And I look forward to watching you grow and mature._"

Harry flushed again and stayed silent, not entirely sure how to respond to that. Instead, he wriggled around to make himself more comfortable in Ophion's coils and resumed petting the snake's head as Ophion started telling him a story about the last time he'd been allowed to roam the castle freely.


	7. Chapter 6

As usual, pretend there's a disclaimer here.

So, this one is kind of packed full of information - and there's a lot of italics, so I'll apologize in advance for that. (I am still working on the others, but they're looking to be a bit long and I have some real-life things to work out before I can focus as much attention to the other chapters as I have to this one.)

Other than that, the Walking Dead started a little while ago and I have no intentions of missing even a minute of it - this is being updated during commercial breaks. (Enjoy! - and feedback is always loved!)

Chapter 6

Harry picked absently at his breakfast, not having any interest in eating. He wasn't all that hungry, and he didn't appreciate being forced to eat in the Great Hall instead of sneaking into the kitchen whenever he was particularly hungry, but Snape had cornered him in the Slytherin common room the night before and had informed him that his presence was expected every morning at breakfast. Harry hadn't been all that keen on doing as the man told him, but when one of the Hogwarts house elves had popped into his dormitory after he'd gotten out of the shower, repeating Snape's instructions from the night before, Marvolo had convinced him that it was better to just go along with the man. For the time being, at least. As the man had told him, pretending at complacency now would allow him further freedom in the future, but neither of them were particularly pleased with Severus Snape at the moment.

_Try not to look so obviously unhappy, child_, Marvolo said. _And stop picking at your food and eat something. If you're going back to see Ophion again, you're going to need your strength_.

_Why_? Harry asked, though he did start eating the croissant that he'd previously been shredding.

_You're going to ask your new basilisk friend to take you to Slytherin's private chambers_, Marvolo said, chuckling when Harry was only barely able to stop himself from choking on his croissant. _When Ophion takes you there, you're going to find a number of things that are going to be helpful._

_How?_

Marvolo laughed quietly. _I've no intention of spoiling the surprises that await you, child_.

_You just like keeping secrets, that's all_, Harry replied, quickly swallowing a smirk when he realized that the Headmaster was watching him quite intently from his seat in the center of the staff table. _I don't like him._

_Never look in that man's eyes for too long._

_Is it for the same reason why you didn't want me to look into the Dark Lord's eyes?_

That immediately angered Marvolo, and for a few long, almost painful minutes, he didn't say anything, and he willed a particularly painful headache to Harry. _The Dark Lord and that pathetic old man are nothing alike_, he said finally, in clipped tones. _I had you avert your eyes as a sign of respect to the Dark Lord, as he did not yet know that you were his kin. The old man will do whatever he can to manipulate you. He has mastered a form of magic that allows him to read the mind of whoever is foolish enough to meet his gaze_.

Harry didn't say anything, though he did turn his head away from the Headmaster, choosing instead to watch the owls fly in to deliver letters to the maybe thirteen students who had stayed in Hogwarts over the holidays.

A small, chestnut brown owl landed on the table in front of him, chirping rather happily as it hopped toward him. There was a small roll of parchment in it's leg, and it held it out for Harry to take it.

_Don't make that thing wait forever,_ Marvolo said. _It looks unfortunately ready to claim you._

_Claim me? As what?_

_Its caretaker_, Marvolo said, sounding rather amused. _Owls can be peculiar creatures, and this one looks to be no exception_.

Harry frowned slightly but reached forward and took the letter. As he did so, the owl hopped forward another few steps, once again chirping at him. He watched the owl for a moment, not saying anything. _Is it so bad to have an owl_? he asked, absently rubbing the owl's head. He smiled slightly when the owl chirped happily, closing it's eyes as Harry kept scratching it's head.

_It would make a few things a bit more convenient for you. What does the letter say?_

_I haven't read it yet_, Harry said with a grin, laughing quietly when the owl snatched a piece of bacon off his plate and started eating it.

_Your cheek is going to get you into trouble someday, child._

Harry petted the owl again, handing it another piece of bacon. _I thought you wanted me to stop being so quiet. With you, at least_.

Marvolo laughed quietly, the letter momentarily set aside. _Only with me, child_, he said. _You should have learned by now that I am not a generous man, and I do not like sharing what I see as mine_.

_What about the Dark Lord, then_?

_He will only appreciate your insolence in private, and if you do decide to take such liberties with the Dark Lord, you must be willing to risk the chance that he will not find your antics at all amusing. You are precious to him, but even Dark Lords will not tolerate being made fools of_, Marvolo said, keeping his tone gentle. When he felt that Harry was about to object, he sent a wave of calm to the boy. _Until he has spent enough time around you to know your personality as well as I do, the Dark Lord is likely to interpret anything other than respectful behavior as something meant to mock him. He will torture you for that, though your punishment may be less severe than those he would give to his mere disciples._

_That's helpful_, Harry replied darkly. He felt an odd pressing in his mind - an entirely unpleasant sensation that had Harry feeling rather nauseous and Marvolo suddenly seething with anger.

_I will protect you as best I can, child, but you need to leave the Hall now_, Marvolo said.

Harry nodded slightly, holding his hand out to the owl. It didn't move to perch on his arm, but it nipped rather affectionately at his fingertips before taking flight and leaving the Great Hall. On his way out, Harry stuffed the letter in his pocket and fisted his hand around the handle of his wand. Neither he nor Marvolo said anything else until Harry was safely sequestered away in his Slytherin dorm room.

_What was that_?

_An attempt to invade your mind_, Marvolo replied. He was still obviously angry, and Harry's scar pulsated as the man allowed his anger to seep out of Harry's body. _Allow me a moment, child_.

Harry stayed passive as Marvolo surged forward to seize control of his body. He watched as Marvolo wandlessly summoned Harry's magic, which had turned static with his fury. A wind ripped around the room, upsetting the previously perfectly tidy room and rustling through Harry's hair. The mirrors in the adjoining bathroom all shattered as Marvolo started hissing vile curses in Parseltongue, his eyes focused on the empty portrait above the fireplace in their room.

A number of minutes passed, and Marvolo slowly calmed himself down. When a familiar man stepped into the painting, looking incredibly concerned, Marvolo seemed to regain almost complete control of his mental capacities.

"_What ails you, young Speaker_?" the man asked.

"_The ever-innocent Headmaster attempted to invade the mind of the boy_," Harry hissed angrily. His eyes flashed almost blood red, practically glowing with magic and anger. With a vague gesture of his left hand, he silently established locking and privacy charms on the room to prevent anyone from interfering with his conversation. "_I want that old man dead._"

Slytherin was silent for a long moment, watching Marvolo almost curiously. He seemed to be incredibly fascinated with the notion of having two Speakers sharing a body, and his interest seemed to pique when Marvolo completely controlled Harry's body. "_Calm yourself, young Speaker. It would not do to harm the boy who has hosted you for so long_," he said. "_Was the muggle-lover successful_?"

"_Of course not_," Harry scoffed. He narrowed his eyes at the portrait of the Founder. "_The boy is mine, and I will not share him with such a disgrace as the Headmaster_."

"_Then no harm was done._"

"_The intent was still there_," Harry snapped. "_And that is reason enough to kill him_."

Slytherin hummed quietly. "_You must not approach him while you and the child still share a body. The damage will be done only to the boy, and he is the one you have sworn to protect_."

Harry sneered up at the man. "_I have taken no such oath, painting. My allegiance lies only to myself_."

_Is that true, Marvolo_? Harry asked, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of defeat. Had this really all been an act from Marvolo? He received no answer from the man.

"_Were that true, you would not have befriended the child. You would not have brought him to my Chamber, nor would you have introduced him to the basilisk_." He fell silent for a moment, glaring down at Harry. "_Marvolo, you are but a portion of my last living Heir and as such you are well aware what I am capable of. If you do not continue to nurture your young Speaker, or if you act in any way that turns him against you, I will personally see to it that you are completely destroyed, no matter the harm that is done to the soul of my Heir. Am I understood_?"

There was a long moment of silence before Harry inclined his head. "_I should not have allowed myself to lose my temper in such a manner_," he admitted, though it was clear to all that the almost-apology had been close to painful for Marvolo.

Slytherin nodded. "_I look forward to speaking with the child later today. This will, of course, only happen after you have provided him with an explanation for your anger, and, if he feels it necessary, an apology for your words_," he said. Without giving Marvolo the chance to respond, the Founder disappeared from the painting just as quickly as he'd come into it.

_Marvolo_? Harry asked hesitantly, sounding far too much like a terrified child for his own comfort. He didn't say anything else as the older man returned control of his body to him, and he tried to wait patiently for the man to gather himself enough to speak with Harry again.

It took almost three full minutes.

_I apologize, Harry_, he said, one of the only times he'd used Harry's name instead of a pet name. _My behavior was unacceptable, and the words I said were not meant to harm you_.

Harry sat down on the edge of his bed, thinking the situation over. He felt an odd pain on his head and pressed his hand to his scar. It was a bit slippery, and when he pulled his hand away from his head, he was only mildly surprised to see blood on his fingers. _Were they true, those words? Do you really feel no need to protect me_? he asked, grabbing an old shirt from his Uncle and wiping the rest of the blood off of his face.

Marvolo growled, though he seemed more exasperated than angry at the moment. _I said nothing of the sort, child. I merely said that I had taken no oath to protect you_.

_You also said that you weren't loyal to anyone but yourself_.

_That is true, child. I spent my life ensuring that I was going to do much more than live a dull, average life. I swore to myself that I would thrive, and prove to myself that I was no one's second best._

Harry frowned. _So what does that make me?_

_It makes you mine, child_, Marvolo said, sounding oddly affectionate, given his usual aloof behavior. _As I told you earlier, you are precious to me, and I am not a generous man. I do not share what is mine, and I do not allow what is mine to come to harm by anyone's hand but my own_.

Harry's frown only deepened, but he silently acknowledged the man's explanation. It was almost comforting, knowing that he had someone who cared enough to claim him, though Marvolo still occasionally frightened him.

_Are you displeased with me, child? Have I offended you?_ Marvolo asked in a tone meant to soothe Harry. It had worked before, calming the child on the nights that he woke up screaming, unable to remember that he was no longer at the mercy of his uncle. And though Harry seemed reluctant to admit as much now, Marvolo felt the child relaxing. He sent a warm pulse of calm to Harry, and when the child's frown disappeared, he knew he'd found success.

_I don't want you to abandon me, Marvolo_, Harry said, his resolve firm on that matter.

_I have no intentions of ever abandoning you, Harry_, Marvolo replied, sounding completely sincere. _And I will attempt to keep my anger in check if Dumbledore attempts to repeat his earlier behavior._

Harry nodded. _Will you teach me how to gather my magic like you did_? he asked, eager to be back on friendly terms with Marvolo. He'd gotten used to the man's constant presence in his mind, and it was highly upsetting for Harry to think that he'd have to go through even a few hours without the man being there, speaking with him.

_When you are older, I will teach you much more than that. It is not entirely safe, though, as lesser wizards have gone mad while gathering their magic. Perhaps the Dark Lord would be willing to teach you in the meantime_.

_The Dark Lord_? Harry asked, blushing slightly as he considered the prospect. _Would he really teach me things like that_?

Marvolo chuckled quietly, all previous anger dissipating as he considered the possibilities of what, exactly, the Dark Lord could teach Harry. _All you need do is ask him, child. You and he do share a soul bond, after all, and I very much doubt that he is willing to risk the dangers that come with allowing you to remain untrained and vulnerable to outside attack_. He fell silent briefly. _What does your letter say_?

_Letter_? Harry asked, confused for a moment before he recalled the letter in his pocket. He took it out, smoothing out the wrinkles as best he could, and looked it over.

It was from Theo, that much was clear from the handwriting and the dark blue ink that the other boy seemed to favor. The letter was also more than a bit long, considering how much Theo disliked writing - at least when it came to academic papers.

_Harry,_

_I hope this letter reaches you in good health, and I can only hope that you haven't died from boredom, being cooped up in the castle for your winter holidays. I've had a wicked time so far, but I suspect that things would have been so much more fun if you had been here with me, so that we could be seeing the same things together and getting into trouble together. _

_I told my mum about your situation, I hope you don't mind. She's a brilliant witch, and her father is a solicitor who's made a number of connections, and she and my grandfather are working to try and get your situation remedied as quickly as we can. (Though Mum has told me that she is not above kidnapping you over the summer to ensure that you are kept away from that filthy Muggle bastard.)_

_My father petitioned twice, so far, to gain legal guardianship of you, but your magical guardian intervened both times. Father says that he's got to be one of the most well-connected wizards of our time, or he's filthy rich and not shy about bribing people to make sure that you stay under his control._

_There is something of interest, though._

_After my father's second petition to the courts, he received a letter from Gringotts stating that matters of your legal guardianship cannot yet be altered. Grandfather told me that that means that one of your late family members left a Will in their vault that mentions you. He thinks it's one, or both, of your birth parents, but he also said that it was possible for one of your godparents to have included you in a Will as well. He's asked me to pass on the fact that he's willing to look over your family estate and help you get used to the responsibilities that will await you once you've been named the Potter Lord. He's smarter than my mum, and he's never been a man interested in too much attention, so I think he'd be a perfect solicitor for you, if you'd like._

_My Mum wanted me to tell you that one of our House Elves will be coming into our dorm in Slytherin around noon this afternoon to take your measurements. Mum's going to be choosing colors that flatter your complexion, apparently, but she won't tell me more than that. I just know that you're going to get a new wardrobe, one that's going to be appropriate for the Heir of the Potter family, by the weekend at the latest. Mum has also been planning to send you books that will teach you about the proper etiquette in the high society circles that she's planning to bring you into._

_I warn you now, Potter. My mother's going to be mentoring you and bringing you into the upper class circles whether you want her to or not. I promise you now, there's no use in fighting against her, since she's already practically declared you her second son._

_She's probably going to send her personal House Elf, Twizzle, to take your measurements. She's a decent enough Elf, and I suspect my mum is going to give her permission to take you to Gringotts (and then bring you back to our dorm, or at least, back to the Slytherin Common Room) so that you can read the Will that's got something to do with your legal custody arrangements. You merely need to ask, and if Twizzle's been given permission, she'll be able to take you off to the bank to handle your business. (She'll also wait for you to finish whatever you need to do there, and she can bring you back to Hogwarts when you're done. It'll be almost like no one ever knew you were gone in the first place!)_

_The owl is a gift, by the way. Something of a welcome to the family gift, only this isn't from me or Mum. It's actually from my Father, who wanted to let you know in a discreet way that he's not going to give up on you. It's also supposed to serve as your Yule gift, but I've found something that you'll like even more than an owl. (You'll get that one when I get back to Hogwarts after the holidays, I promise.)_

_I helped him pick out the owl, since Father originally wanted to send you a Horned Owl. It looked like Draco's owl, and I couldn't help but remember how terrified you are of that creature. Every time you see it, you look like you're apt to cry, and I didn't want my father sending you a nightmare in an attempt to be friendly. The creature we both agreed on is a Screech Owl. Her name is Godiva, and even though she's still young, she's going to be just as strong as Draco's owl when she's fully grown - but she will remain a small sized owl throughout her life._

_Draco did express some regret at not being able to watch you try to dance at his family's Yule Ball this year, but he did tell me that he expects you to attend the Ball next year, and for you to be completely able to handle yourself with the other Lords and Lords-to-be. _

_His father, Lucius Malfoy - who my father does occasional business with - did seem almost excited at the prospect of meeting you, though, so be careful around that bloke. My father doesn't trust the Malfoy Lord any further than he could hex him, and Malfoy's supposedly one of the strongest wizards in the country - apart from the Dark Lord and the Headmaster, of course._

_I don't think there's much else to tell you now, other than the fact that my engagement to Daphne is going to be formally announced shortly after the New Year. She's likely going to expect some kind of gift. The twit has become almost insufferable since she found out about the announcement going public, and I almost find myself envious of you, and your lack of marriage arrangements. It's quite exhausting, being engaged to a Greengrass - Daphne, especially - before I've properly gone through puberty._

_Try not to die of boredom while I'm gone, Harry. I do miss you, and I hope you've found something to keep your interest over the break, other than books. Had I not seen bits of your personality come out, I might think the Hat had mistakenly dropped a Raven into the Snake Pit._

_Ah, well, I'll see you soon. There's only about two weeks left in our holidays, and I find myself missing Hogwarts. And you, little brother, though that's for an entirely different reason._

_Soon, little brother._

_Regards, Theo._

Harry smiled, rereading the letter to make sure that he hadn't missed anything.

Marvolo seemed pleased as well, though he didn't say anything. Instead, he just sent another wave of calm to Harry to communicate his approval. He was growing increasingly pleased with the relationship that the Nott Heir was fostering with Harry, and he had never been particularly shy about hiding that from Harry.

"Tempus," Harry murmured quietly. He frowned slightly when he realized that it was just a bit after eight in the morning. There was enough time for him to take a bath and work on some of his homework - there was no way he was going to risk going back to Slytherin's Chambers until after the house elf showed up, and when he was sure that Professor Snape wasn't going to pop up behind him and question his every movement.

...

Harry had just finished his Potions essay when a soft 'pop' behind him took him by surprise. He turned around, staring at the creature standing in the middle of his dorm room without saying anything.

"Twizzle is pleased to be meeting the soon Lord Potter," the small, grey, wrinkly creature said, curtsying slightly to Harry. "Lady Nott is being have asked Twizzle to measure the soon Lord Potter for being getting new clothes," she said.

Harry nodded, still not saying anything.

"Can the soon Lord Potter being standing up so that Twizzle can being take the measurements for him?" she asked. "Twizzle promises the soon Lord Potter that this isn't going to being taking long," she said.

He hesitated only a moment before standing up and moving into the center of the room. He followed Twizzle's instructions, and, just as the house elf had promised, the whole thing didn't take longer than twenty minutes. As soon as it was done, Twizzle popped away, carrying a parchment on which she'd taken down all his measurements.

She returned seconds later, watching Harry with an almost overeager smile. "Can Twizzle being doing anything else for the soon Lord Potter?" she asked.

"Could you take me to Gringotts, please?" Harry asked, hesitating only a moment.

Twizzle nodded, grinning. She held out her hand, and as soon as he took it, she popped the two of them away.

They reappeared seconds later under an archway in the bank.

Twizzle pointed to the front counter, where there were a number of goblins helping customers. One of them, though, was staring at Harry, a menacing grin on his face. "The goblins are being helpful to the soon Lord Potter," she said. "Twizzle is going to being waiting here when the soon Lord Potter is having finishing his conversation with his goblins."

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said, walking toward the counter, and doing his best to evenly meet the gaze of the goblin that was still staring at him.

"Young Mister Potter," the creature said when Harry reached the counter. He chuckled when the boy had to grip the top of the counter and stand on his tip toes to see over the counter to continue meeting the goblin's gaze. "We've been expecting you for quite some time now. What's kept you?" he asked.

_Your currently appointed magical guardian has severely limited your freedom, claiming that his actions were taken to preserve your life. Tell him that_, Marvolo suggested.

Harry repeated the statement verbatim, flushing slightly when the goblin's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. "Lady Nott has offered me her assistance," he said, keeping his silence about Marvolo.

"I'm not worried about your vocabulary, Mister Potter," he said. "What you've told me about your magical guardian is what concerns me. Come. I need to take you to a room where we can discuss this privately," he said, getting down from the counter and motioning for Harry to follow him.

He did so, silently listening to the chattering of other customers. Marvolo was silent, though he had an almost smug attitude about himself as Harry and the goblin approached the door of a private office.

Once they were behind closed doors, the goblin spoke in a muttered, garbled language to a second goblin behind a desk. The conversation lasted only a few seconds before the first goblin left the room.

"Have a seat, Heir," the goblin said.

Harry hesitated of just a moment before doing as told. He looked around the office but found nothing too exciting. It was a small office, decorated in mute, earthy tones, and there were number of piles of parchment and old books stacked around the room. "Am I in trouble?" he asked, finally looking back at the goblin.

"Not you, no," the goblin said. "Your magical guardian, on the other hand, is going to face at least two legal charges, though I suspect there will be more added to that after this conversation," he said.

"How did you know who I was?" Harry asked.

"We know the identity of everyone who comes into our bank," the goblin said. "You are currently named Harry James Potter, and you are the Heir to the Potter Lordship. You were escorted here by a House Elf named Twizzle, who belongs to the Nott family," he said.

"Then who are you?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side and looking oddly similar to a young predator staring at another, older predator.

The goblin grinned wickedly. "My name is Griphook. For the past eight centuries, I've managed the Potter family accounts. Given your earlier statement, it is likely that I will also be tasked with finding you a solicitor capable of properly handling this situation."

"Theo Nott is my friend," Harry said quietly.

"He is nowhere near old enough to act as your solicitor."

Harry smiled slightly. "No, sir, I know that. But he wrote me a letter earlier, telling me that his grandfather's a solicitor, and that he's offered to help me straighten out the Potter Estates," he said.

Griphook nodded, making a note on a piece of parchment in his desk. "I'll look into it," he said. "Though it is odd."

"What is?"

"It is out of the ordinary for a Potter to already have such a Dark-oriented disposition, and the Nott Family does not often ally themselves with anyone," Griphook said. He didn't look up at Harry, choosing instead to rifle through a smaller stack of parchment on the left side of his desk.

"Theo and I are friends," Harry said quietly, looking down at his hands, which were resting on his knees.

There was no response. Instead, Griphook kept looking through his stack of papers until he found the file that he was looking for. "It isn't something you need to explain, Heir," the goblin said, opening the file and grinning wickedly. "As I recall, your grandfather had a similar orientation. His alliances ran much Darker than yours at the moment, though," he said.

"My grandfather?" Harry asked, perking up a bit. "Is he still alive?"

Griphook said nothing for a moment. "He died, actually, about four years ago. An Auror raid in the Potter Manor turned up circumstantial evidence that the man was harboring Death Eaters from the Ministry's prosecution," he said. "The Aurors attempted to arrest him but your grandfather resisted arrest. As I recall, it was a rather controversial investigation, and had your parents been alive, it would have caused quite the rift in the Potter family's public unity."

"Oh," Harry said, not entirely sure how to feel about that.

_Ask your kin about the man when you are provided with the opportunity_, Marvolo suggested.

Harry silently acknowledged the advice, turning his focus onto the file in front of Griphook.

"It appears that neither your father nor your mother saw fit to leave any sort of will for you. That is odd, considering the circumstances surrounding their deaths."

Harry frowned.

Griphook scowled. "You haven't been told?"

_Your guardian has been deliberately keeping you in the dark about a number of things_, Marvolo said.

Again, Harry repeated the statement verbatim.

"More bad news for your guardian, then," Griphook said. "Your parents went into hiding to keep their family safe. They acted deliberately to have a target on their backs, and they knew that there was a chance they'd be killed, yet they still left no will. There is nothing in our records, either official or otherwise," he said, sounding increasingly angry.

_Foolish, arrogant imbeciles_, Marvolo hissed, echoing the goblin's anger.

"So there's nothing?" Harry asked, scowling.

"Not from your parents, nor your godparents."

"Who are they?" Harry asked, blushing slightly when Marvolo pointed out that he'd just interrupted Griphook. "Sorry, sir."

Griphook shook his head, seeming more amused than offended. "According to our records, Sirius Black is your first godfather, though he's currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban for the murders of one of his old classmates, a man named Pettigrew, and a number of Muggles. You've no named godmother, but there was a notation of a previous godfather. Severus Snape, though it appears that naming was rescinded about a year before the death of your parents," he said. "Neither of them have named you in any official documents."

"Oh."

"Your grandfather did name you in his will, though."

"Can I read that one?" Harry asked.

_I do not mean to rush you, child, but your absence will not remain unnoticed for too much longer_, Marvolo said quietly.

"We keep the official copy here in the bank, but you are welcome to take a copy with you," Griphook said, pulling a copy of the will from his file and handing it to Harry. "If you've got any questions, you can always bring it back here, or you can send me an Owl and I will respond within a day."

Harry nodded and took the will. He looked it over, running his hands almost absently over the ink, which had a slightly different texture than the parchment. "You're sure I can keep this?" he asked.

Griphook nodded. "You're welcome to keep that one, yes. I suspect you're a bit eager to get back to your school, then?" he asked with a knowing look in his eyes. "We've conducted all our business for the time being, but you should now that I will be making inquiries on your behalf," he said.

"Thank you."

The goblin nodded again, closing his file. "You will receive a letter in a few weeks with any new information," he said. "Do you have an owl of your own?"

"Yes, sir. Her name is Godiva," he said. "She's back at Hogwarts, though."

Griphook grinned. "There are ways of summoning her here. We've had a few problems before, though this looks to be one of the more severe cases of misbehaviors of magical guardians, and we've learned that it's best to send letters with the owls belonging to their owners," he said. "It was good to finally meet you, Heir Potter."

Harry nodded. "It was nice to meet you too, sir," he said. "Hopefully next time it won't be such a bad meeting."

"One can only hope," Griphook said.

"Thank you, sir, for all your help," Harry said, bowing slightly to the goblin before leaving the office. He glanced down at the parchment in his hands, smiling slightly before wrapping it up into a tight curl and putting it in the pocket of his borrowed trousers as he made his way back to the corner where Twizzle was still waiting.

"Is the soon Lord Potter having being finished his business with the goblins?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "For now, yes. Could you take me back to Hogwarts, please?"

Twizzle grinned and held out her hand again. Harry took it and the two of them popped away, reappearing almost seconds later back in his Slytherin dorm room.

"Thank you, Twizzle," Harry said, smiling down at the house elf.

She grinned up at him, making Harry uncomfortable with just how happy she looked. "Twizzle is being very happy to help the soon Lord Potter. Twizzle's Mistress and the Little Lord Nott are being telling Twizzle that the soon Lord Potter is going being part of the family," she said.

Harry smiled a bit. "Thank you, Twizzle," he said again, watching as she popped away.

_Odd little elf_, Marvolo mused quietly as Harry looked around the dorm room. It didn't seem like anything had changed in his brief absence, though he did notice that Slytherin was back in the painting.

"_Hello, sir_," Harry hissed after double checking that the door was locked. "_Was I gone long_?"

"_Only about ten minutes or so_," Slytherin said. "_I very much doubt anyone noticed. The Headmaster and your Head of House are both still in the Great Hall. Did you find anything of interest in your trip_?" he asked.

Harry nodded, smiling slightly. "_My grandfather's will. He named me in it, and apparently he named me in it_," he said.

Slytherin returned the slight smile, not saying anything. Without warning, he disappeared from the painting. "_The halls are clear_," he said, returning suddenly. "_Come to my chambers. I'll have Ophion bring you to my personal chambers and you can share the contents of the will with us there_," he said. "_And I suspect my Heir has told you at least something of the splendor of my chambers. You will find privacy, safety, and I can promise you that my bed is the most comfortable in all the castle,_" he said.

Marvolo laughed. _If I didn't know the Founder any better, child, I might think he's trying to seduce you_.

"_I'll come to your chambers, then_," Harry said, flushing slightly from Marvolo's comment. He ignored the mildly amused look on Slytherin's face as he left the portrait frame.

_Wear a set of robes, and cast a warming charm on them_, Marvolo said. _His chambers tend to be a bit cold_.

Harry nodded, pulling on his Slytherin robes and murmuring the charm before he left the dorm room. He stuck to the shadows, making sure that he wasn't followed as he made his way to the now familiar entrance.

Slytherin was waiting for him, and he allowed Harry entrance without saying anything.

"_I missed you, little serpent_," Ophion said as soon as Harry came into view.

"_And I you,_" Harry said. "_Marvolo wanted to know if you would be willing to take me to Slytherin's personal chambers today_," he said.

"_It would be an honor, little serpent. Climb on to my back. It will be quicker that way_," Ophion said, helping Harry clamber onto his back.

Harry gently took hold of the basilisk's crest to steady himself, hissing an apology in case he hurt the snake. Ophion seemed more happy at the contact than hurt, almost seeming to purr, and headed off through the halls of the chambers.

He stopped almost ten minutes later, in front of a dark brown set of double doors that were large enough for Ophion, in all his mass, to fit inside.

"_Open the doors, little serpent_," Ophion said as Harry slid off of him and straightened his robes a bit before unlocking and opening the doors. As soon as he did, his jaw dropped at the sight before him.

The doors had opened to a common room about the same size as the Slytherin common room. The floors were a dark mahogany, the walls a soft, pale green. There was a large fireplace on the left wall, with no fire burning in it and signs that it hadn't been used for years. The right wall had three doors, and the far wall had another set of dark brown double doors. Decorating the walls were a number of large paintings depicting empty rooms, but above the fireplace was the painting of a chair that looked remarkably like a throne. The room itself was decorated sparsely, but still with a touch of elegance. There were three large couches, black leather, and a glass-top study table.

"_What do you think, little serpent_?" Ophion asked as he nudged Harry forward a few steps.

"_It's brilliant_," Harry breathed out quietly, resting a hand on Ophion's side to keep him steady as he walked further into the room.

"It was one of my best creations in this castle," Slytherin said as he stepped into the painting of the throne and settling himself into the seat. "_It has been quite a while, Ophion_," he said. "_I'm sure you remember how to make yourself comfortable_," he said quietly.

The basilisk hissed the affirmative and moved around the room, forcibly moving two of the couches out of the way to coil as much of his bulk as possible in front of the fireplace.

Harry took the not-at-all subtle hint and pulled his wand from his pocket. He toed his boots off and headed to the fireplace. At first, he tried to move around Ophion's mass to avoid burning the snake, but the basilisk's refusal to move resulted in Harry crawling on top of the coils until he could see the fireplace. He thought about it for a moment before casting one of the Darker spells that Marvolo had taught him.

"Well done," Slytherin said, looking almost impressed.

"_Make yourself comfortable, little serpent. My coils are a much better place to rest than those couches, and you don't weigh enough to be an inconvenience,_" Ophion said when Harry moved to try and escape his coils.

"_You're sure_?" Harry asked.

Ophion made a slight, happy noise, not saying anything.

"_Now_," Slytherin said, watching with a look of what seemed almost to be pride as Harry made himself comfortable against Ophion. "_I believe you were going to share the contents of your grandfather's will_?" he asked.

Harry nodded and pulled the will out of his pocket, unrolling it. He smoothed out a few absent creases, looking it over before he cleared his throat quietly and started reading it in Parseltongue, so that both Slytherin and Ophion could understand him.

_"I, Charlus Orien Potter, being of sound mind and health, do declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. _

"_I suspect my life will not last much longer as a free man, as those in the Ministry who remain loyal to my son and his wife have taken it upon themselves to punish me for allowing certain friends of mine to find sanctuary in the Manor that belongs to me. Because of this misfortune, I find it only prudent to draft a new Will. It is not within the tendencies of the Ministry of Magic to be gentle when apprehending those they consider enemies, and it is not within me to allow myself to be apprehended in a civil manner_.

"_It has come to my attention relatively recently that neither my son nor his wife saw fit to draft Wills of their own before they went into hiding, and while I don't quite understand why, what with my grandchild's future being at stake, I suppose it is only to be expected. My son never was one to think ahead all that much, and it is all I can do to hope that my grandson does not inherit such a character flaw as that. Being as this is the only legal document concerning my grandson, it is I who will retain the final word on his custody and any limitations on what he may or may not inherit when he becomes of age to claim the Lordship._

"_It appears I will never have the chance to meet my grandson, which I see as a great misfortune. My son did not approve of the orientation of my magic, and he never made attempts to hide that displeasure. Because of that, he gave my son a ridiculously plebeian name. Harry James Potter. It was bastardized, but he was named for a long dead Potter ancestor and then given my son's name because my son was an arrogant little twat. Had I had my way, the child would have been given a proper Pureblood name, despite the fact that his mother only claimed to be a Mudblood. My wife, who was killed long before her time, always favored the name Renatus, after a great uncle of hers whom I never had the chance to meet. Harrison Renatus Potter does have something of a ring to it, I suppose."_

Slytherin made an odd noise, and Harry paused, looking up at the portrait. "_Is something wrong_?" he asked.

The Founder shook his head. "_Nothing of the sort. It is a strong name, and I find I rather like it. You might look into legally changing your name to that. It will work to your benefit when you enter the upper echelons of this society_," he said. "_At the very least, it will point out to the more traditional Purebloods that you value tradition over what seems to be arrogance on your father's part._"

Harry was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "_I'll ask our kin when Marvolo and I see him again_," he said quietly.

Slytherin nodded his approval and then motioned for Harry to continue reading the Will.

"_It is perhaps not proper for me to admit this, but my son acted a fool throughout his life. His continued misbehaviors only reinforced my thoughts that the Potter name would only decline if he were allowed to inherit the full Lordship. As such, he was limited to use a Trust account, which contained enough for him to live comfortably, but not to excess. My thoughts were proven correct when he donated over half of his account to the cause of the Order of the Phoenix - a war effort - almost immediately after being accepted as an Auror._

"_I can only hope that my grandson will have more sense, and that he will work to actively preserve our family's name - though I suspect he will have a great deal of work in restoring our reputation if my son's actions had as much an effect as I suspect. Child, should you ever read this, I apologize. What I am hoping from you is a great burden, and I know that. Still, the Potters have always produced excellence and I very much doubt that will have stopped with you._

"_As the Lord of the Potter estate, it is my prerogative to name whoever I please as my Heir, even if I have never met them. Because of that, I hereby name my grandson, Harry James Potter, to be the Heir to the entire Potter fortune. When he reaches the age of majority, he may claim the Lordship, but until then he will be the Heir to the family._

"_As far as his custody, I will hope that he's being housed with our family relatives. The more sane Black sister - Narcissa, I believe - would be the best choice. She married into one of the Darker Pure families. Malfoy, if I remember? She and I got along well enough, and she understood that my son was not the true Lord of the Potter family. (I never allowed him to claim the full Lordship, not inasmuch as I have granted my grandson.) If she is told that Charlus asks her a favor, she will take him in and raise him._

"_If Narcissa or the other honorable Blacks are not available, then I suppose one of the Lighter-oriented families would be appropriate, though I would hope that my grandson is placed with families who don't make names for themselves by spewing vitriol against Dark-oriented wizards. _

"_Under no circumstances is my grandson to be placed with the Muggle relatives of my son's supposedly Mudblood wife. I always suspected the woman was lying about her blood status - she acted too much like she had some kind of latent creature blood for me to be entirely comfortable around her. (Of course, I have never been the fondest of Mudbloods, so that may be at least partially responsible for my aversion to her.)_"

Harry stopped reading the Will at that, his hands trembling slightly in anger. He was never supposed to have been placed with his Uncle - if he could really call him that after everything. He'd had an actual, live, living relative who'd wanted him, and he'd been placed with that, that _thing_ he'd been forced to call his uncle!

"_Harrison_," Slytherin demanded in a glacial tone, immediately pulling Harry's attention to him. "_Your anger is useless at the moment. Gather control of yourself. Now_."

"_He wanted me_!" Harry yelled, ignoring the tears welling up in his eyes and the way that Ophion moved to tighten his coils around him in a reassuring manner. "_I had a grandfather who wanted me and I was forced to stay with that stupid bloody walrus_!" he yelled. "_I could have had a bloody family and instead I had_-" he stopped abruptly, looking away from the portrait and staring at the fire.

Slytherin said nothing for a long moment, staring down at Harry with an odd, almost introspective look on his face. Finally, after about three minutes of silence, he shifted a bit in his chair. "What did the Muggle do to you?" he asked in a clipped tone, switching away from Parseltongue.

Harry didn't say anything. He flushed red and clenched his fists, still avoiding the man's gaze.

Slytherin was silent for a long moment. "Harrison Renatus Potter has a great future ahead of him, I suspect. An intelligent child who has already made connections that will benefit him throughout his life, and who has already proven himself a competent and powerful young wizard, who can only get stronger as he matures," he said. "Though power such as yours, much like the power that the Dark Lord possesses, is rare. Such power must be earned through great hardships, as a number of my heirs learned the hard way."

Harry still stayed silent, swiping angrily at the tears that kept welling up in his eyes.

"Yes, I expect Harrison Renatus will prove his competence when he is given the chance. I do wonder, though, what Harry James has been forced to experience in order to realize just how powerful he was," Slytherin said in a gentle tone. He glanced briefly at Ophion before looking back and watching Harry's every move.

It was a long, heavy silence that lasted almost ten minutes as Harry did his best to sort things out and compartmentalize what he couldn't handle at the moment. It wasn't particularly easy, but he'd had an unfortunate amount of practice at it.

Marvolo was silent as Harry sorted things out, but Harry knew that the man was observing every thought that Harry had and he was filing everything away for a future discussion.

"Tell me, Harry," Slytherin said after another moment.

Harry let out a shuddering breath, his anger set aside, at least for the moment. "My Uncle didn't want me, and he made that perfectly clear," he said.

"Elaborate on that, would you?" It wasn't a question, and they both knew it.

Another silence, though this one didn't last quite as long.

"He lost his job when I was three," Harry said quietly, still not looking up at Slytherin. Instead, he stared at Ophion's coils, keeping his hands clenched in his lap. "After that, he started drinking a lot more than before. He'd slap me when I got in his way, but I was mostly just ignored until I was six years old. He and my Aunt got into a violent row one night - he was drunk, and so was she. She took my cousin and left in a cab." He was silent for a moment. "My uncle came after me with a leather belt, and he didn't stop until I was unconscious."

Slytherin hissed quietly but didn't say anything, waiting for Harry to continue.

"He left me bleeding on the kitchen floor and when I woke up, he'd gone off to work but there was a list of chores for me to do," Harry said in a dull, resigned tone of voice. "After that, it's just how things were," he said. "I'd get a list of chores, and if I didn't do everything, or if I wasn't as thorough as my Uncle wanted, he'd slap me around a bit. When he got drunk, he'd pull out the belt and I just had to hope to lose consciousness as quickly as possible."

_Tell the entire truth, child_, Marvolo said in a warning tone. _Otherwise I will take control and I will disclose everything that I watched you file away._

Harry scowled. "So he did a bit more than slap me around a bit, I suppose."

"Do explain that," Slytherin said coolly.

"He'd beat me severely, and he had a fondness for knocking the breath out of me and then kicking me once I was curled up in the fetal position. He never brought any toys out when he wasn't drunk, though." At a slight gesture from Slytherin, his scowl deepened. "Toys. Just a few belts, an empty vodka bottle, and a sock filled with batteries or bars of soap."

"And he is still alive?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. As long as I don't have to go back to him, I don't really care whether he lives or dies," he said.

"Good answer," Slytherin said, sounding suddenly angry.

Harry frowned, looking up at the man. "Is something wrong?"

"You're going to go to your kin, and you're going to tell him exactly what's happened to you," the Founder said, glaring down at Harry. "When he asks to look into your mind as proof of that, you're not going to fight him. And when he is the one to decide whether you will be allowed to come back to this school or not, you will not argue with his decision."

"Why?" Harry asked, not bothering to try and hide his confusion.

"Because Marvolo already has his suspicions that the Headmaster is going to try again to mentally violate you, and with the atrocities that your guardian has allowed happen to you, your kin is going to want to make sure that you're in perfect health," Slytherin said. "And once you are healthy, he will also be able to provide you with a proper education in the ways of the high society, as well as the things you will not be permitted to learn here."

Harry was silent for a moment, thinking over what he'd just been told. Finally, he nodded. "Alright," he said quietly. "How do I go about contacting the Dark Lord without catching anyone's attention, then?" he asked.

_I can help with that, child_, Marvolo said, finally chiming in.


	8. Chapter 7

Pretend there's a disclaimer here.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but as a few reviewers in my other stories have pointed out, I need to make it clear that my stories are slash. So here's an official notice (if one hasn't already been made) that this story will eventually be slash between Harry Potter and the Dark Lord. That being said, Harry's still 11 years old, and I have no intention of incorporating any slash until _much_ later in the story, after Harry is no longer underage.

As far as updates, I'll try and get another one in before the end of the year, but I'm going to be working on other stories (both original and fanfic) at the same time, so I won't make any promises.

Other than that, enjoy! (and feedback is always greatly appreciated!)

Chapter 7

_Give me control, child. I will take you to the Dark Lord_, Marvolo requested when Harry hesitated. _I need only a few minutes to get there, and I promise you that no one will find out about our disappearance_.

"No," Harry said aloud. He was silent for a moment, glancing back down at the letter in his hands. "No, I don't want to bother him with this right now."

"This is something that he will demand to know," Slytherin said. "This is not the sort of thing that you keep secret, especially from my kin."

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm not going to keep it a secret from him forever. I just want to know more about my grandfather before I tell him anything," he said. He looked back at the letter again. "I'm going to tell him, but not right now."

_He will not appreciate learning that you kept a secret from him, no matter when you tell him the truth_, Marvolo said gently.

"It isn't a lie if I just wait until I find out more about my grandfather, is it?" he asked, looking up at the portrait of Slytherin. "I'll tell him everything I learn once I do tell him, but I just want to make sure the information is complete before then."

Slytherin shook his head. "If that's the case, then I very much doubt you will face punishment for holding back information, at least temporarily," he said.

Harry nodded. He rolled the letter up and tucked it into his trouser pocket. _Marvolo, can you take me back to Gringotts without anyone finding out that we've left the grounds again_? he asked.

Marvolo let out a quiet, frustrated hiss. _Our kin needs to be told about this so that he can take the extra measures to best keep you safe_.

_I'm going to tell him, I promise._

_Now._

_I want time before we go to him. One week._

_One day._

Harry scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. _Three days._

_One day._

_Two days?_ Harry asked.

_Twelve hours_, Marvolo said, sounding more amused than frustrated. _And you should be grateful that I haven't decided to take control and seek out the Dark Lord to tell him regardless of your wishes._

Harry's scowl deepened. _Fine. Twelve hours_. He looked up at Slytherin, who had watched the exchange with a look of mild amusement. "We should be back soon."

"I look forward to it," he said.

_Take a deep breath, child. I am not entirely sure this will be successful_, Marvolo said as he gathered just enough of Harry's magic to Apparate out of the Chamber.

They reappeared seconds later in a familiar corner of Gringotts.

_I think it worked_, Harry said. _Are you hurt_?

_I am fine, child. Your concern is unnecessary, but appreciated. Hurry up with this so that I can take us to see our kin_, he said, though he sounded tired.

Harry nodded and headed up to the counter. He scowled when he had to stand on his tiptoes to see over the counter.

The goblin behind the counter grinned down at him. "Back so soon, Potter?"

"Yes, sir. I was wondering if I could talk to Griphook again, please?"

The goblin nodded and pointed to the opposite side of the hall, where Griphook was speaking with a particularly gruff-looking goblin.

"Thank you," Harry said before heading over to Griphook.

When the two goblins noticed Harry approaching, they fell silent and the unfamiliar goblin nodded to Griphook before heading down the hall.

"I had a feeling that I'd be seeing you again soon, Mister Potter. How can I help you this time?" he asked.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, feeling suddenly like he was being watched. After looking around the room and seeing no one watching him, he frowned slightly and looked back at Griphook.

"We can discuss this in private quarters, if that would make you more comfortable?"

"No," he said. "No, sir. I was just wondering if there was any way for me to get to the Potter Manor without my having to Apparate there."

"Most of the Pureblood families have at least one emergency Portkey in their family vaults. I can have one of my associates bring it up for you, if you'd like," he said. At Harry's nod, he motioned for the boy to follow him back into his office. Once the two of them were again behind closed doors, he pinned an almost expectant look on Harry. "I can also begin the legal process of naming you Heir to the Potter Lordship if you'd like."

Harry shrugged. "Will it help?" he asked.

"Not immediately. The paperwork will take time, and very little will change for you for a number of years. The formal naming allows you to inherit the Lordship once you come of age, and it can remain private until then, if you'd like," he said. "And it only requires a few drops of your blood."

_It will only help as you grow,_ Marvolo said. _Do hurry this up, though. I find my patience running thin_.

Harry nodded. "I have a bit of blood to spare at the moment, I guess," he said with a somewhat unsteady smile. His confidence wavered when his grin was returned with one more menacing.

"Excellent," Griphook said. "Wait here." That said, he left the office.

_When we speak to the Dark Lord, you will not keep any information from him_, Marvolo said gently, though it was clear that he'd just delivered an order. _And if he wants to verify the information that you've told him, you will allow the man to look into your memories to see that you've told him the truth_.

Harry nodded.

It didn't take long before Griphook returned with a small stack of papers and a large silver marble. He set the papers on the front of his desk. "I'm just going to need three drops of your blood, right here," he said, pointing to the center of the top page.

As Harry bit into the skin of his thumb, he looked over the pages, frowning when he couldn't read any of the writing. "What language is this written in?" he asked.

"A unique dialect of our language that cannot be read by anyone but your account holder. It prevents fraud and allows the account holder to make copies without jeopardizing the privacy of their clients," he said. "Once the process has been started, I will send a translated copy to you in whatever language you desire. I suspect you'd prefer English."

"Yes, sir," he said quietly, smearing his blood onto the top sheet of paper. "When will I get the papers?"

"Within two days," Griphook said, reclaiming the papers. "Now, the Portkey," he said, setting the marble onto the table, just out of Harry's reach. "Every Lord keeps an emergency Portkey in their family vaults, and it's not uncommon for them to take certain precautions to ensure that only they or members of their families can use them. Charlus made it possible for the Portkey to transport others, though it requires blood," he said. "James Potter never took the opportunity to create one of his own, even though he was never granted the full Lordship, so we've kept the Portkey that Charlus made and kept here. When you pick it up, it will extract a drop of blood from your skin to ensure that you are a member of the Potter family, and in order to activate the Portkey, you must state the family motto of your grandfather's wife," he said.

Harry nodded again, not saying anything as he tried to remember if Charlus had ever mentioned his wife's name in his will. "Who was his wife?"

Griphook frowned and looked through one of the files in front of him. When he found what he was looking for, he nodded decisively and handed Harry a parchment. "This is a transcription of your family tapestry. The actual tapestry is likely still in one of the Potter properties," he said. "You may keep that copy, if you'd like. We've got an extra in your file," he added when Harry looked up at him with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Thank you," Harry said, scouring the names. There were certainly some that sounded interesting, and the name Ignotus Peverell caught Marvolo's attention, though he didn't say why. Finally, he noticed Charlus' name, next to one Dorea Black. _My grandmother was a Black_? he asked. _Does that make me related to Draco_?

Marvolo hummed as Harry folded the parchment and tucked it into the front pocket of his trousers. _Distantly, I suppose. The Black family motto has always been Toujours Pur._

Hesitantly, Harry reached forward and picked up the marble. He showed no reaction when a small cut was made in his palm and the marble settled into the cut, momentarily growing warm. "Thank you, Griphook," Harry said. "Toujours Pur," he murmured quietly. A pressure immediately surrounded his entire body and, for almost a full minute, Harry was unable to breathe. He clenched his eyes shut, murmuring Marvolo's name in the hopes that he would be able to do something.

When he opened his eyes again, he gasped sharply. He was no longer in the goblin's office. Instead, he was sitting on a large sofa in an unfamiliar sitting room. The room was large, and painted in a pale green, with dark brown furniture and a large fireplace that, from the looks of it, hadn't been used for a number of years.

_Marvolo_? Harry asked.

_I expect you're in a sitting room in the Potter Manor. Keep your wand close at hand, but be warned that if I sense a threat, I will be taking control to protect us._ At Harry's quiet noise of protest, he chuckled. _I have much more practice in combat scenarios than you, and I am not going to risk our safety in the hands of your first year education_.

Harry frowned. _Just try not to kill anyone, would you?_

_I won't make any promises_, he said before falling silent.

Just as Harry made to stand up, he heard a loud pop and a small house elf appeared in front of him. "Er, hello?" he asked.

The house elf just grinned widely at him. "Dixie is pleased to be meeting you, young Master," she said with a curtsy.

"I'm not the young master."

She laughed, a loud yet not entirely unpleasant sound. "Of course you is! You is having the Potter blood and you is being here! How can Dixie being of help to young Master?" he asked.

Harry hesitated. "I don't know, really," he said. "Could you tell me about Charlus, maybe? I just found out about him."

"Dixie is being taking the young Master to Charlus," she said, taking hold of a handful of the fabric of Harry's robes. "You is being following Dixie. You is being asking for Dixie if you is being needing anything else, young Master."

He wasn't given the chance to object, and the house elf was stronger than she looked. Harry followed her out of the sitting room and down a hall, looking at the decor. The hall was decorated in a light brown, and there were a number of plants along the wall, along with a few old vases and statues that caught Marvolo's interest.

They'd made it through the hall and around a corner before Harry stopped abruptly, staring down at Dixie with a confused look on his face. "I thought Charlus was dead," he said quietly.

"Oh, I am, I'm afraid," a deep voice said as a ghost drifted through a nearby wall. "I'll speak to my grandson from here, Dixie, thank you," he said.

Dixie nodded and disappeared without another word.

"You're Charlus?"

"What's left of him, at least. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Harrison," he said.

Harry blushed slightly. "Just Harry is fine," he said.

Charlus narrowed his eyes at Harry. "You haven't taken after my half-wit son, have you?" he asked. "I've waited a number of years to meet you, and I would very much like not to be disappointed."

"I don't think so, sir," Harry said. "But I just read your will this morning and I've been just Harry since I can remember," he said.

"And you decided to come visit me?" Charlus asked, though his voice had taken on something of a hard tone. "Where have you been?"

Not sure what was meant by the question, Harry frowned. "I'm only a first year at Hogwarts," he said.

"Yes, you're wearing your Slytherin robes, so I had surmised as much. I believe you are one of only a few Potters to have been Sorted into the snake house," Charlus said. "I myself was a Ravenclaw. But I was actually inquiring as to where you live when you are not in school."

Harry looked down, staring at his feet. "I'd rather not talk about that, if you don't mind," he said quietly.

Charlus scowled, but he didn't press the issue further. "Come along, then. I'll show you the Lord's suite, and you can start to get settled in here while we talk," he said. "I suspect you've got just as many questions as I do."

There was a comfortable silence as the two of them headed up a flight of stairs and toward a set of double doors on the west side of the building. Once they were in the sitting room of the suite, which was about the size of the first floor of Harry's uncle's house, Charlus and Harry spent a moment looking each other over.

Charlus was a few inches over six feet tall, and even though he was a ghost, his muscular frame was still obvious and, if Harry was a bit obvious, still a bit intimidating. He was wearing a pair of trousers and a loose-fitting button-down shirt that hadn't been tucked in, and he had bare feet. His hair, which reached the middle of his back, had been tied back into a low ponytail with what looked to be a leather cord. Overall, Harry found himself impressed with the image that Charlus presented, even as a ghost, though the look on Charlus' face spoke of the man's dissatisfaction with Harry's presentation of himself.

"You are a bit small for your age," Charlus said after about five minutes.

_Years of abuse tend to do that_, Marvolo said, suddenly snarky.

_Stop, please. I don't want to talk about that right after meeting Charlus_. Harry shrugged, not saying anything aloud.

"Where did you live before you started at Hogwarts?" Charlus asked.

"With Uncle."

Charlus scowled. "I would hope that you are not referring to my unfortunate daughter-in-law's Muggle relatives," he said.

Again, Harry just shrugged.

"Who is your legal guardian right now?"

"We think it's Albus Dumbledore," Harry said.

"We?"

"Er, me and a friend of mine. He's been with me most of my life and he knows everything that's happened to me. I'm not going to tell you anything else about him, though, since he likes his privacy," he said, not quite meeting Charlus' eyes. _Sorry, Marvolo_.

_I will allow that slip this once, but do not repeat your mistake elsewhere_, he said. He didn't sound as irritated as Harry had expected, which he took as a good thing.

"And pray tell, what is everything that has happened to you?" Charlus asked, his eyes narrowing.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to admit everything. The look that Charlus sent him told him that he wasn't going to be given any other options.

...

They'd spoken for nearly two full hours, and by the end of it, Charlus knew almost as much about Harry as Marvolo did, though he knew nothing about Marvolo's constant presence with Harry, or about Harry's connections to the Dark Lord. The first hour of the conversation had been far less than pleasant, but after they'd resolved a few things, it had become a bit more pleasant, with Charlus sharing some of the more pleasant stories of his childhood to counter the stories that Harry had shared.

Harry had just asked how Charlus had been discovered as an unsworn aid to the Dark Lord when a loud 'crack' from downstairs caught both of their attention.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Harry asked quietly as Marvolo gathered enough control to tighten Harry's hand around his wand.

"I wasn't, no. Wait here and make sure you're prepared for anything, even an attack," Charlus said before disappearing through a wall.

Once he was alone, Harry tried to drop the wand, but Marvolo just tightened the grip again. _I can handle this much, Marvolo._

_I am well aware of that, child, but I still worry. Allow me to keep control of your arm so I can react if a threat presents itself._

_Just my wand arm, right?_

_For now._

_Tell me before you take more_, Harry said. When he heard no commotion from the hall, he stood and edged out of the suite, listening to Marvolo's quiet advice.

When he made it into the sitting room he'd arrived in, he stopped in his tracks, unsure what to think of the scene in front of him.

An older man had collapsed onto the floor in front of the sofa, and he seemed to be unconscious. From what little Harry could see of him that wasn't covered in mud, grime, or blood, the man looked to be in his late forties and severely injured. Harry could hear the man's labored, wheezing breathing from where he stood, but otherwise, the man wasn't moving. Charlus was standing near the fireplace, staring down at the man in complete horror. For a moment, Harry thought the ghost had been petrified.

_Might I suggest you start doing something before the blood stains the floor_? Marvolo asked gently, the question propelling Harry into action.

"Dixie?" Harry said quietly.

The house elf appeared right away and curtsied to him. "How is Dixie being helping young Master?"

"The curtsying is unnecessary," he said, flushing slightly. "I need you to make sure that this man has a room in this Manor where he can recover. Clean him up and bandage his wounds as best you can. If he's unconscious when you're done, leave a glass of water for him. When he wakes up, make sure he's got something light to eat. Chicken broth would be the best choice until we know the extent of his injuries," he said. "And if you could make a record of all of the injuries he has, that would be helpful as well."

She nodded, walking over to the man. She inspected him for a moment before pressing a hand to the man's back and disappearing with a quiet 'pop' and a pained groan from the man.

"Charlus?" Harry asked after a long moment. There was no response, so Harry took a few steps closer and repeated the question. This time, the ghost looked over at Harry with an almost frightened look on his face. "Do you know him?"

"Evan."

_That name sounds familiar to me._

"Who?" Harry asked, frowning.

"His name is Evan Rosier. We were quite close before my death." He paused. "I've never seen him that close to death."

Harry glanced over at the puddle of blood on the floor, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "He's going to need more help than Dixie can give. I need to find a Healer qualified to deal with his injuries," he said, keeping his tone gentle.

"Harrison, Evan is a loyal disciple of the Dark Lord, and he is a wanted criminal. Any Healer you bring in is more likely to finish him off than help him, and you'll face charges for providing aid to a known fugitive," Charlus said.

Harry merely offered the ghost a weak, lopsided smirk. "Then I won't bring in a Healer like that." At the hesitant look on Charlus' face, Harry dropped his smile. "You're the only blood relative of mine who I know, and I'm not going to disappoint you so soon after meeting you. Give me one chance."

"Evan is much more than a chance to me."

"I'm asking as your grandson, Charlus," Harry said. "Trust me now. I'll do everything I can to not let you down."

Despite his obvious reservations, Charlus nodded slightly. "Be quick about it, Harrison. I do not want to see Evan dead," he said.

Harry nodded. _Marvolo?_ he asked. _Take me to our kin_.

_About damn time, child_, Marvolo said, gathering control of Harry's magic. Unbeknownst to Harry, though noticed by Charlus, Harry's eyes flashed red as he disappeared.

Harry reappeared seconds later in a large, ornate bedroom. _Where did you take us, Marvolo_?

_To the other Horcrux. The Lord keeps his snake with him at all times, and it is easier for me to find the snake than the Lord himself. He will make his presence known soon_, Marvolo said before falling silent.

Harry looked around the bedroom, which had been decorated in shades of green and silver. It didn't take long for him to notice Nagini watching him, and as soon as Harry made eye contact with the snake, she moved away from the fireplace and surrounded Harry with her coils.

"_It is a pleasure to see you again, my sweet hatchling. I was beginning to think that you might have forgotten about me_," she said.

"_You're the most beautiful snake I've ever seen,_" Harry said, rubbing her head once she butted her head against his chest. "_I could never forget about you_."

She let out a pleased hiss. "_Do not make me wait so long between your visits. You are the second person on earth that I can speak with, and it has been too long since I've had a hatchling to protect_," she said. "_Though I am curious what brings you to our haven_?"

"_Our haven_?"

"_We both carry the blessings of our Lord, and we will forever be safe here_," she said, sounding decidedly matter of fact about her statement.

"_I need to speak with him, actually_."

"_You are not hurt, are you?_" she asked. "_I can't smell any blood on you._"

Harry shook his head. "_Not me. A friend of my grandfather's_," he said.

"This is a surprise, little one," the Dark Lord said as he stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of black cotton trousers. "How did you get here?"

"Marvolo brought me to Nagini so I could talk to you about something," Harry said, flushing bright red when he realized that the Dark Lord no longer had more than a passing resemblance to a serpent. He was unable to keep eye contact with the man as he took a few steps closer to Harry.

The Dark Lord smirked. "Get to it, then. I do not have all day for you to pamper Nagini," he said.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath to gather himself. "Evan Rosier appeared in my grandfather's house and my grandfather's pretty sure that his injuries are extensive enough that Rosier's going to die if a Healer does not help him," he said in a rush, hoping the Dark Lord had understood everything.

The older man's eyes narrowed and he nodded. "_Nagini, bring Wormtail to me_," he said.

Nagini nodded and left the room without a word to Harry.

"When did you meet your grandfather?" the Dark Lord asked as he headed into his wardrobe.

For a moment, Harry stood in the room, not sure what to do. When the Dark Lord called his name, though, Harry headed over to the threshold of the wardrobe, but he didn't watch too closely as the older man changed into more formal clothing.

"Your grandfather?"

"Right, sorry," Harry said. "Theo's father has been trying to be named my new magical guardian, because my current one is neglecting his duties. It hasn't worked, partially because my guardian is well connected and partially because my grandfather made a stipulation about my custody in his final will. Theo's mum's house elf took me to Gringotts so I could get a copy of the will and read it, and then I took a Portkey to the Potter Manor to see if there was any information about my grandfather there. I met my grandfather instead, and he's a ghost and we spent like two hours talking, and then Rosier appeared in the sitting room almost dead. I told my grandfather that I'd find a Healer who wouldn't kill Rosier, and then Marvolo brought me here to you so I can ask you for help," he said. Once he was done, he took a deep breath and watched as the Dark Lord finished dressing himself. "Will you help?"

"I will do what I can for Evan. He has been faithful to me since we were both young men," the man said as he walked out of his wardrobe. He stopped in front of Harry and took hold of the boy's chin, gently tilting it up so that Harry had to meet his gaze. "I appreciate this information," he said.

Harry pulled out of the man's hold and shook his head. "Don't say that," he said, not reacting when the Dark Lord's eyes narrowed in a silent warning. "This information is only useful if Rosier recovers," he said.

"You are an odd creature," the Dark Lord said quietly, though there was a hint of a smile on his face. It looked almost like he was about to say something else when the door opened and a short, pudgy man walked in. He was glancing around the room and behind himself, jumping forward nervously when Nagini came into the room behind him. "_Stay silent, child_," he said, looking back down at Harry.

Harry nodded once, not moving from his spot.

When the strange man looked over at Harry, he seemed to forget about everything else in the room. His eyes widened almost comically and he took a few steps toward Harry, an almost expectantly hungry look in his eyes.

Silently, Harry took a few steps toward the Dark Lord, hoping to hide himself behind the taller man.

The Dark Lord seemed to approve of his instincts, as he shifted to more adequately hide Harry from the man. "Your Mark, Wormtail," he said in a suddenly glacial tone.

Wormtail stopped mid-step and glanced down at his left arm. "My Lord, are you sure?"

The Dark Lord arched an eyebrow at the smaller, mouse-like man. "You dare question me?" he asked.

"I meant no disrespect, My Lord, please forgive me," Wormtail said, falling to his knees. He held out his arm for the Dark Lord but kept his eyes clenched shut.

"Silence, Wormtail," the Dark Lord said, sounding more than slightly irritated with the man's antics. He grabbed Wormtail's arm, pushed the sleeve back and pressed his palm down onto the Dark Mark that was emblazoned on his arm.

Wormtail whimpered loudly, tightening his fist and trying to pull his arm out of the vicegrip.

The Dark Lord smirked slightly before murmuring a name. Only when he heard the distinctive cracking sound of a nearby Apparation arrival did he release his hold on Wormtail's arm.

"It is a bit early for my services, My Lord," a petite Asian woman said quietly as she walked into the room and bowed lowly to the Dark Lord. "You normally only call for me after a raid."

"Extenuating circumstances. Harry, this is Emily Xiu, the most talented Healer in my arsenal."

"You flatter me, My Lord," she said with a slight smile. "Who requires my services?"

"The boy will take us to the injured man. Prepare yourself for a long Healing session, as I'm told the injuries are life threatening," he said.

Emily nodded. "I am always prepared to serve you, My Lord."

"And you've yet to let me down. Harry?"

Harry looked up at the Dark Lord, meeting the man's expectant gaze but saying nothing._ I don't know how to bring them back to the Manor without damaging any of the wards that are in place_, he said, hoping Marvolo would have some answers.

_Take out the Portkey you were given at Gringotts and cast the Enlargement charm on it. Make sure it is large enough for you and the others to have contact with the marble_, Marvolo said. _Once that's done, the Portkey will work just the same as any other in the world_.

_It won't need their blood?_

_It is made as an emergency Portkey and stored at Hogwarts. As I recall, after the blood of a family member has been taken, no further blood is required, though you still need to use the phrase to activate the Portkey_, Marvolo said quietly.

Harry nodded slightly and did as told.

Less than two minutes later, the three of them were standing in the same sitting room that Harry had arrived in that morning.

Charlus was still there, waiting for them, and his eyes widened when he recognized the Dark Lord, though he stayed silent.

"Dixie?" Harry called.

She appeared seconds later, her body splattered with blood and grime. "Young Master's guest is being very hurt, and his room is being three rooms left of the Master's room," she said.

Harry nodded. "Miss Xiu is a Healer, and she's here to help Rosier. Could you take her to his room and get her whatever she needs?" he asked.

Dixie nodded. She grabbed hold of the hem of Emily's robes and led her up the stairs.

"Charlus," Harry said in a gentle tone, catching the ghost's attention. "This is the Dark Lord. Lord, this is my grandfather, Charlus Potter," he said.

"A privilege to meet you, Lord Voldemort," Charlus said quietly. He bowed his head to the man but drifted away from him. "I'm going to check on Evan," he said. "I would request, Lord, that you do not harm Harrison. I haven't spent nearly enough him getting to know him."

"He has done nothing to warrant my punishment."

Harry smiled slightly at Charlus, though the ghost didn't react other than to disappear from sight. "What now?" Harry asked, looking up at the Dark Lord.

"The only thing left to do is wait. Emily will do her best."

...

Just over eight hours later, the door to Evan's room opened and Emily slowly walked outside. At the sound of the door opening, Harry jolted awake, not entirely sure when he'd fallen asleep. Or how he and the Dark Lord had managed to make themselves comfortable on a small loveseat against the wall outside of Evan's room.

Though his pillow was rather comfortable, even if it was warmer than usual. And it smelled slightly of fire embers. And it was moving ever so slightly.

Wait.

He glanced up, only to meet a pair of amused crimson eyes. As soon as their gazes met, Harry flushed a brilliant red as he sat up, moving off of the Dark Lord as quickly as possible, and scrambled off to the other side of the loveseat, only barely able to stop himself from falling over the side.

"I trust you are well rested?" the Dark Lord asked.

Harry stayed silent, though Marvolo found the entire situation almost hilarious, judging from his laughter.

"Did I interrupt something, My Lord?"

The Dark Lord shook his head. "Not at all," he said, standing up and pressing what looked to be a small coin into her hand. "You've done well, thank you," he said.

"There is a report of all the injuries and all the measures taken to heal Rosier on the bedside table, My Lord," she said, sounding almost asleep on her feet.

"The Portkey will take you to the rooms you've used before. Take as long as you need to recover, and do not hesitate to ask the house elves for whatever you need," he said.

Emily nodded a bit and, after a quiet word from the Dark Lord, she clutched the coin in her fist and disappeared.

Finally regaining his voice, Harry stood up and hesitantly approached the older man, still unable to keep the blush off his face. "Is she alright?"

"Extensive healings always take a magical and physical toll on the Healers. She'll be back to her full health within a week," he said, looking down at Harry. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you, sir," he said, his voice barely audible.

"You used a great deal of sophisticated magic today and your body is still young. Exhaustion is to be expected in such a situation," the Dark Lord said. "Though I am rather impressed that you lasted as long as you did. Come along," he added before heading into the room.

Evan was asleep under the covers of the bed, though he looked much less dead than when he'd arrived. His left eye was bandaged and his head had been shaved, revealing two large cuts that had been stitched shut. The right side of his face and his neck was covered in fading bruises, but his breathing was no longer labored.

Charlus was standing watch by Evan's bedside, and he barely spared either Harry or the Dark Lord a glance when they walked in.

The Dark Lord ignored the ghost, choosing instead to look at the report that Emily had left on the nightstand.

"Do you have any idea what happened to him?" Harry asked, looking up at the Dark Lord.

"I would be willing to wager that he and Greyback got into another fight, since I haven't sent him on any assignments recently," was the reply.

At that, Charlus looked over at the two of them. "You've been working with the werewolves?" he asked. "I thought they refused to ally themselves with either side in this argument."

"Greyback and I have history together, and it took a great deal of convincing, but we negotiated a mutually beneficial alliance agreement," the Dark Lord said as he finished looking over the report. Whatever he found semed to please him, as he nodded to himself and returned the report to the nightstand. "I believe I owe you my gratitude, Charlus."

"I beg your pardon?"

The older man smiled slightly. "Your willingness to allow my followers and their families to find sanctuary behind your walls, and your silence about their presence saved a number of their lives. Including, a number of times, Evan's life," he said.

Charlus shrugged. "My son and his foolish war effort was putting too many lives at risk, Lord, and many of those lives were friends I made throughout the course of my life," he said. "I had no intention of allowing them to perish at the hands of my son," he said.

"And your relationship with Evan?"

"Both my wife and I were close with him as the three of us grew up. I believe my late wife and I were two years behind you while you were attending Hogwarts," he said. "Even after our marriage, we made sure that Evan knew he was always welcome here."

The Dark Lord nodded. "You were his shadow, then, and Dorea Black his rose. He was particularly fond of you, as I recall."

Charlus smiled sadly, looking back down at Evan. "I haven't heard those pet names since before my son was born," he said. "There was always an intimacy between us, but after Dorea died, Evan and I, well, our intimacy only increased," he added.

"I remember the lovebites, yes. Bellatrix found them particularly amusing," the Dark Lord said.

"She would," Charlus muttered.

There was an almost comfortable moment of silence as the two older men watched Evan and Harry watched Charlus.

"Why was Rosier fighting with a werewolf?" Harry asked suddenly.

"He and Greyback get along quite well, what with their mutual appreciation for sadism, and it has become relatively common for the two of them to spar with each other. The only things not permitted in their fights are fatal blows or spells and Greyback Turning him," the Dark Lord said. "Though he is known to be one of my most faithful, so I cannot rule out one of the Ministry tracking him down and trying to torture information out of him."

Charlus laughed quietly. "If that was the case, then he likely turned the tables on his captors."

"How?" Harry asked, looking at the sleeping man with a newfound sense of curiosity.

"Evan finds a certain snse of sexual release in pain, regardless of whether he is the one giving or receiving it," the Dark Lord said, rather matter-of-factly. He looked up at Charlus. "I will look into the reason for his injuries, but I would appreciate being informed when he wakes up, and if he suffers any complications."

Charlus nodded. "I'll have Dixie find you if anything happens," he said.

The Dark Lord nodded. "I will leave you in peace, then," he said, making his way out of the room.

"Lord Voldemort," Charlus said almost hesitantly before the Dark Lord reached the threshold. When the man stopped, turning back to him, Charlus bowed his head slightly. "Dorea and I perfected the wards to allow those with the Dark Mark to Apparate into my Manor, and that permission was extended to allow their blood relatives into the Manor as well," he said. "Evan found a way to manipulate the wards about twelve years ago, to allow you into the Manor without problem. You are welcome to return here whenever you like, and the wards will only strengthen, as their purpose is to shield outside knowledge of any guests bearing a connection to the Dark Mark," he said.

The Dark Lord nodded again. "I appreciate your foresight, Charlus, and no doubt we will be speaking again soon," he said before looking over at Harry, who had taken a few cautious steps to follow him out of the room. "Come along."

Harry nodded. He waved a quick farewell to Charlus before quickly following the Dark Lord out of the room. "I am allowed to go back to Hogwarts, aren't I?" he asked. A smirk from the Dark Lord had him smiling slightly. "I didn't make any mistakes, I don't think."

"Far from it," the older man said. Once they were in the hallway, he knelt down to be closer to eye level with Harry. "I daresay you've impressed me, child, though I do need to tell the piece of my soul something before I return you to the school."

_I am listening_, Marvolo said. _Though I'm gathering enough of your magic to take you back to Slytherin's Chambers and then to block your memories from the people who are going to question your disappearance_.

"He's listening, but he's getting ready to protect me against the people who are going to ask about my disappearance," Harry said.

"Good. He may need to take control for a few days, but the two of you need to remain in common areas only. Claim to have gotten lost in the dungeons, and you will likely be exonerated, but you will still find yourself watched closely for a number of days," the Dark Lord said.

Harry nodded.

The Dark Lord was silent for a moment, staring at Harry almost curiosly before nodding. "_Go, now. If you need to contact me, be discreet about it_," he said.

Harry nodded again, his eyes bleeding red as Marvolo took control and Apparated them back into Slytherin's Chambers.

"_That took a great deal longer than I expected_," Slytherin said. "_A number of the portraits in the castle have been searching for you, and the Headmaster is almost frantic_."

Harry smiled as Marvolo receded a bit, though his eyes retained a red tint to them. "_I met my grandfather, and then I had to find the Dark Lord_," he said, glancing over at Ophion, who was fast asleep in front of the fireplace.

"_And you will share your adventure in great detail with me, but another time. Leave anything that proves you were off of school grounds here. It will be safe until you return for it, but I will not have you risking your safety right now_," Slytherin said.

Harry nodded and emptied his pockets, putting the copy of his grandfather's Will and the copy of his family tapestry onto a desk in the tapestry. He was much more reluctant to part with the marble, but on Slytherin's reassurance that it would not be tampered with in his absense, he set it on top of the papers.

"_Do try not to get into too much trouble_," Slytherin said. "_And if you need to speak with me, I will seek you out in the portrait in your dorm room._"

"_Thank you,_" Harry said. He gave himself a once-over, making sure that there was nothing too conspicuous about his appearance before running out of Slytherin's Chambers and heading further into the dungeons. Marvolo was silent, though Harry could still clearly feel his presence as they ventured further into the dungeons.

After about ten minutes, he heard footsteps approaching him from behind, and Harry stopped, waiting for whoever it was to catch up. Marvolo took the opportunity to strengthen the barriers he'd established to protect Harry's mind from unwanted visitors.

When his follower came into sight, wrenching Harry's arm toward him, Harry scowled and bit back any number of insults.

Snape, for his part, sneered down at Harry. "And just where the _hell_ do you think you're going?" he snarled.

"I got lost," Harry said, not needing to pretend to be frightened of Snape. The man was scaring him at the moment. "I was just trying to find my way out of the dungeons."

"You've been missing for almost ten hours, Potter," Snape yelled, dragging Harry back through the halls.

"I just got lost!" Harry snapped, trying unsuccessfully to pull his arm out of the professor's hold. "Let me go!"

The Potions Master merely tightened his hold on Harry's arm, ignoring the boy's pained whine. "I wasted most of my day looking for you, Potter. We're going straight to the Headmaster so you can explain yourself," he snapped.

Harry opened his mouth to argue further, but Marvolo caught his attention. _Do not make it obvious that you are a threat, child. Cooperate, at least for now, and you will escape this situation with less scrutiny_, he said.

_I want to see Snape bleed_, Harry hissed, only barely able to stop himself from admitting as much aloud, either in English or in Parseltongue.

_And I will do what I can to help you see that desire come to fruition, but now you need to pretend at complacency_, Marvolo said, sending a small wave of calm to Harry.

Harry remained silent as Snape dragged him through the halls and up to the Headmaster's office. Only when the Headmaster himself walked into the office and took a seat behind his desk did Harry's hackles go up.

"Mister Potter," Dumbledore said with a smile and an annoying twinkle in his eyes. "You gave everyone a scare today."

"I got lost."

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore said, the twinkling increasing. "It appears you and I need to have a conversation about appropriate student behavior. Severus, wait outside for a few minutes, would you?"

Snape nodded and left, sending a final glare in Harry's direction before shutting the door.

"You and I are in for a long conversation, Mister Potter, and I expect your honesty."

Marvolo hissed, sounding livid. _Prepare yourself, child. This is not going to be pleasant_, he said, once again strengthening Harry's mental barriers.


	9. Chapter 8

Pretend there's a disclaimer here.

It's been a while, but here's the next chapter. Things are starting to shape up, and we're warming up for some of the more serious action, but the big shiny parts of the story are still kind of far away. Anyway, read on, and enjoy - and feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Chapter 8

"Have a seat, Mister Potter," Dumbledore said, motioning to the bright red armchair on the opposite side of his desk. "And I must insist on your complete honesty," he said as he watched Harry take a seat.

"Alright," Harry said, cautiously doing as told. He barely stopped himself from baring his teeth when he started sinking into the chair, unable to move. _Marvolo, I'm sinking into this chair_, he said, doing his best not to look around too much. His uncle had never much liked him to look around, and for some reason, Harry found himself reverting to the same sort of behavior around the Headmaster that his uncle had conditioned into him.

_Yes, it is rather hideous, isn't it?_ Marvolo asked. _Pay very close attention to everything that happens in this room. Even the smallest details can point out his lies._

_There's a shriveled old bird behind him_, Harry said, unable to stop staring at the bird.

Marvolo chuckled but didn't say anything.

"You've noticed Fawkes, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with an amused smile.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Fawkes is a phoenix. He's getting ready for a molting, of sorts, otherwise he would look much grander," Dumbledore said. "Now, you had a number of professors and portraits worried about you when they couldn't find you. Where were you?"

"I felt like exploring the dungeons today and I ended up getting lost."

"Why did you not ask a portrait for help, then?"

Harry frowned. "I didn't think of it. I don't remember seeing that many portraits in the dungeons, anyway," he said. "I found a room that had a couch and some other things in it and I ended up falling asleep on the couch. I guess I just slept for longer than I'd planned," he said with a slight shrug, not quite meeting the Headmaster's eyes when Dumbledore leaned forward a bit. "After I woke up, I tried to find my way out, and that's when Snape-"

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected.

"Right, that's when he found me," Harry said, pretending like the man hadn't spoken.

_Well done, child_, Marvolo said before falling silent again. He made sure that Harry was still able to feel his presence, and he seemed to take a great deal of comfort in the fact that the boy relaxed under his warm non-embrace.

Dumbledore said nothing for a moment before he leaned forward. "Are you sure that's everything that happened today?" he asked.

"Why would I not be sure about where I was?" Harry asked, scowling. "Or are you just accusing me of lying?"

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dampened slightly. "Do you have any reasons to lie, my boy?" he asked.

Harry's scowl only deepened and he said nothing. _He's not going to look in my mind and find anything, is he?_

_I'm keeping you completely mentally protected, child. You have no need to fear the old man_, Marvolo said, sending a wave of confidence to Harry.

"Harry, my boy?"

"We aren't familiar enough for you to use my name so casually, Headmaster," Harry said in a quiet but firm voice. "This is the first time we've spoken, and to be completely honest, I find myself disinclined to repeat this experience. Is there something specific that you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"You don't like me, my boy?"

Harry scowled again. "I hardly know you well enough to decide whether or not I like you, Headmaster, but I know I've got better things to do than to sit here and be accused of lying," he said. "And I don't particularly appreciate being interrogated, either."

"This is not an interrogation."

Harry smiled suddenly, a cold smile that belonged more to Marvolo than to Harry and, judging by the sudden whispering of one of the numerous portraits in the Headmaster's office, that fact did not go unnoticed. "I sincerely doubt that, Headmaster. Otherwise you would have allowed my Head of House to remain in the room while you questioned me, or you would have given me the opportunity to have someone I trusted in here with me," he said coolly.

"You do not trust your Head of House?" Dumbledore asked.

"I am hardly inclined to trust a man who has been keen to insult my long-dead father every time he catches a glimpse of me," Harry snapped, his eyes narrowing in a manner that was quite similar to the Dark Lord. "He has done nothing to earn my trust, and that is not something that I give out freely."

_Reign it in, child. He'll start to get suspicious soon_, Marvolo said quietly. _Though I am rather impressed._

"Fine," Dumbledore said, though the twinkle had completely gone out of his eyes. "While you were missing, you weren't registered within any of the school wards, and I need to know how you managed to sneak off school grounds without anyone noticing," he said.

"I never left school grounds. I got lost in the dungeons."

"Then how do you explain your disappearance from the wards?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry smiled again, though this one was much less vicious than his other smile. "I would guess it's magic, Headmaster. The professors have all made comments about this castle being close to sentient, so maybe you should take this issue up with the castle itself."

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment, and Harry wondered if perhaps the man was actually speaking with the castle. Instead, after about five minutes, Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and looked over at Harry, the twinkle in his eyes back to full-blast. "I don't know if your aunt and uncle told you this, but I knew your parents."

"Strange. I never got the chance," Harry said coldly, his hackles going up at this line of conversation. "Can I go now?"

"I was truly hoping to talk to you, my boy," Dumbledore said.

"Why? You've got like nine hundred other students to worry about, and I haven't asked for help from any of the Professors."

"No, your grades are rather remarkable," he said. "You are among the top of your class, even when compared to the Ravenclaws."

Harry didn't say anything.

_He's going to start pushing now. Don't give anything up, but try not to come across too strong. You need to be able to leave here without being assigned any sort of escort_, Marvolo said quietly.

"I must admit to a bit of concern about you, though. Both of your parents were sorted into Gryffindor, and there hasn't been a Potter in Slytherin for close to two centuries."

"I don't see how that really matters," Harry said. "I am not my parents."

"No, my boy, you certainly are not," Dumbledore said. "Your magic also tastes a great deal Darker than the other students your age, and that worries me."

"You often go around tasting your underage students, Headmaster?" Harry asked with a cold smirk.

Dumbledore blushed a bright red. "It isn't a literal thing, my boy," he said. "Every student is monitored to make sure that they are not harmed, and your magic has been getting progressively Darker since your first arrival and Sorting here," he said.

"You're the Headmaster," Harry said. "You should know that every witch and wizard tends to be more oriented one way or another, and it isn't illegal to have a Darker orientation than meets your personal approval. There's a whole book on it in the library, and it's not in the Restricted Section, so it should be common knowledge around the school," he said.

Dumbledore was silent, though the blush was still present on his face.

"Can I go now?" Harry asked again.

The man still remained silent.

"Headmaster, I very much doubt that you take this much interest in the other students here, and I have enough difficulty fitting in already, what with being an orphan and some sort of celebrity and all," Harry said. "I really would appreciate being left alone."

"You're having difficulty with the Slytherins."

Harry shook his head. "They've all been perfectly polite, but my social life is really none of your concern," he said.

"The wellbeing of my students, and that concerns any problems that my students are having, is a major concern of mine, my boy. It is a large part of my responsibilities as the Headmaster of this school," he said.

"Stop calling me that," Harry muttered darkly. "I'm not your boy, and I promise I don't need any of your help. May I please go now, Headmaster? I have homework to finish," he said.

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh, frowning. "I suppose we're done for now, but I want you to come to me if you've got anything you'd like to talk about, no matter how trivial you think it is. Even if it's just something as small as your scar hurting."

_Ask him about that, child_, Marvolo said quietly.

"Are you expecting my scar to hurt, Headmaster?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore almost seemed to shrug. "Your scar came from a Dark curse that was meant to be lethal, my boy," he said, ignoring the scowl Harry sent him. "And there are those who believe that Lord Voldemort has not, in fact, died," he said, frowning slightly when Harry's eyes narrowed. "Do you fear the man's name?"

Harry scoffed. "The man tried to kill me, Headmaster," he said, standing up and straightening his robes. "Fear is understandable. Please leave me alone from now on." He didn't wait for Dumbledore's response before leaving the office, though he was well aware of the eyes following him out.

Snape was waiting for him in the hallway outside of Dumbledore's office, and he seemed less than pleased that Harry was unscathed. "Using your influence to get out of trouble. You're exactly like your father, aren't you?"

"I really wouldn't know, Professor," Harry said irately. "Seeing as both of my parents were murdered when I was still an infant. If you'll excuse me, I've got better things to do than listening to you insult my father. To be honest, though, I'd probably end up agreeing with whatever you've got to say about him."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I've come to understand that my father was nothing like the hero that the Headmaster wants me to think him to be," Harry said coolly, his green eyes narrowing at Snape. "He was still my father, though, so I will ask that you keep your insults to your self."

"Your arrogance, Potter-"

"Is going to get me into trouble, and my cheek may very well end up getting someone killed. Yes, Professor, I know. You've used the same four insults to me all semester, and contrary to what you may think of me, I do listen," Harry said. "No matter how grating your voice," he added, brushing past the Potions Master and heading down to the Slytherin Common Room, ignoring the man's yells for him to come back.

The Common Room, much as it had been before he'd gone off to Slytherin's chambers, was completely empty. Only two other Slytherins had stayed over the winter holidays, both of them upper years, and they'd spent most of their time in the library or in their dorm rooms.

Harry quickly made his way back to his dorm room, frowning when he noticed that there was a small someone sitting on his bed. With Marvolo once again reaching for his wand, Harry carefully made his way over to the bed, wondering who would have thought it necessary to come looking for him.

"Young Master is being alright!" Dixie said with a grin when she noticed Harry approaching her. She got off the bed and walked over to stand in front of him. "After the young Master is being leaving with the Lord Snake, Charlus is being worried about the young Master, and he is being sending Dixie to make sure that young Master is not being hurt!"

Harry grinned. "No, I'm okay," he said. "How's Rosier?"

"He is being sleeping but recovering. Charlus is being asking Dixie to tell young Master that he is grateful for his help," she said.

Harry nodded, falling silent.

An odd, quiet noise just outside Harry's dorm room a few minutes later surprised the both of them, and a second noise a second later seemed like whatever was making the noise was getting closer.

"You should go back to the Manor before you get caught here. I don't know if house elves that don't work here are supposed to see the students."

"The castle is being allowing Dixie inside, but only into the room where young Master is being sleeping," Dixie said as though that explained everything. Perhaps, Harry thought, it explained something, at least about the Slytherins. Unless this was just some kind of anomaly. "Dixie is being going back to the Manor, but if young Master is being needing anything from Dixie, young Master is being calling for her," she said.

Harry nodded.

"Oh! Charlus is being asking Dixie to write a letter that he is being speaking and to be giving that to young Master before Dixie is being coming back to the Manor," she said, pulling a small scroll out of thin air and handing it to Harry.

"Thanks, Dixie," Harry said.

The house elf beamed, her smile lighting her entire face, and bowed to Harry before disappearing with a loud pop.

Harry heard the slight noise again and quickly put the letter into his nightstand, hoping no one would be searching his room to take anything from him anytime soon.

_I think this noise is familiar to me,_ Marvolo said. _Open the door and step aside_.

_Why_?

_We may be hosting one of the Dark Lord's messenger snakes. Or, perhaps, a guardian._

Harry frowned slightly but moved to do as told. _Why would he be sending a letter to me now? I've only just left his company._

_Yes, but I am willing to wager that any disciples he has who are still students have gone home to spend the holidays with their families_, Marvolo said. _And with the wards that the Headmaster has put into place in the castle, our kin has no way of knowing if you've been safely returned to your dorm room, or if you've fallen to the manipulations of the Headmaster. If his messenger can't find you, the snake will return to our kin and then he will rain down all hell to get you back. Stop stalling and open the door_.

Harry nodded but opened the door.

A small snake quickly made its way inside the room, ignoring Harry as it moved swiftly but cautiously around the room and started tasting the air to make sure that it was safe.

Carefully, so as not to startle the creature, Harry shut the door, locking it, and moved back over to sit on his bed. As he went, he took the chance to look the snake over. It really was quite beautiful - the entire snake was a glossy black color, and as it slowly relaxed, Harry realized that the snake was some kind of cobra. It wasn't that big, just over two feet, and it was no thicker than his forearm.

_Put up the strongest Privacy and Locking Charms you know before you and the snake start speaking. It would not do to allow someone to overhear your conversation, no matter that they won't understand what you're saying_, Marvolo said. There was an odd edge in his voice that sounded distinctly like the Dark Lord, and Harry found himself disinclined to disobey the man.

_Is someone going to be listening in, do you think_?

_You were remarkably in control of yourself when you were dealing with both the Headmaster and your Head of House. No doubt the both of them will be interested in learning who taught you that control,_ Marvolo said. _It doesn't help that the Headmaster has been poking at your magic subtly enough to learn that you've been exposed to a great deal of Dark magic_, he said quietly, sounding angry. _The Headmaster will not be able to so much as taste your magic in the future, I promise you that_.

_It's alright, Marvolo_.

_No, child, it isn't_, he said. _He should not have been able to find that much about you, and I will make sure that you aren't left that vulnerable in the future._

At that statement, Harry perked up a bit. _You're going to teach me magic_? he asked happily.

_To the best of my abilities, child_, Marvolo purred, all traces of his anger gone. If anything, he sounded almost pleased at Harry's reaction. _But not at the moment_, he said. _Try not to be rude to your guest_.

Harry nodded and looked back at the snake, which was still ignoring him. "_Are you lost_?" Harry asked quietly as the snake started moving around the room, still tasting the air as it went.

"_You are a Speaker!_" the snake seemed more pleased than surprised, and it quickly moved onto the bed, stopping just within arm's reach of Harry. "_The Snake Lord sent me to find you after he returned you to the chamber of his ancestor_."

"_How did you get here so quickly_?" Harry asked curiously.

"_The Snake Lord gave me a gift with his magic, and he allowed me a taste of your magic. It was not difficult for me to find you after tasting it_," it said. "_Your magic tastes similar to the Snake Lord's magic._"

Harry nodded, blushing slightly. "_We're kin, or so I've been told,_" he said. "_Do you have a name_?"

"_I am still quite young. The Snake Lord sent me to ensure you came to no harm, and he requested that I stay with you whenever I could. You are the only one, apart from the Snake Lord, who could provide me with an appropriate name_," the snake said. "_I am male, though._"

"_You're a cobra, aren't you?_"

"_My mother was from somewhere in the African territories before she was captured. The Snake Lord took her from the fool who had hoped to sell my mother as a domesticated pet_," the snake hissed angrily, his hood flaring in his anger. "_I had only been hatched for a few days, but I remember our journey quite well._"

Harry frowned a bit. "_Do you know where your mother is_?"

"_She has been taken back to her territories, though she presented me as a token of her gratitude for the Snake Lord. The Snake Lord has sent me to you in the hopes that I will serve as an adequate guardian for you, if you will have me_," he said.

That had Harry smiling. "_It would be a privilege,_" he said. "_Slytherin_?" he asked, looking up at the empty portrait above the fireplace.

Seconds later, Slytherin moved in and took a seat in the armchair in the painting. "You've returned unharmed, then?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said. "And I think I pissed off my Head of House again, but there was really no way for me not to," he added.

Slytherin smirked slightly. "It is truly a shame that Severus will not allow himself to see just how much you belong in his house."

"He thinks I'm just a carbon copy of my father, who I'm beginning to hate," Harry muttered darkly. "_My kin sent a guardian,_" he said, slipping effortlessly into Parseltongue as he motioned toward the snake.

"_He has not lost his good taste, I see. He's sent you a powerful snake_," Slytherin said, turning his dark red eyes onto the cobra. "_And an African creature as well. You should prepare yourself for an aggressive guardian._"

"_I will not harm the child_," the snake hissed, sounding almost offended.

Slytherin chuckled. "_I am well aware of that, little one, but your species is known for becoming incredibly overprotective. I was almost killed by one somewhat similar to you for disagreeing with the man she'd taken as her ward_," he said.

"_Nagini_?" Harry asked curiously.

Slytherin nodded. "_Marvolo and I were discussing the possibilities that came with assassinating the sitting Minister of Magic, and when I disagreed with him, she attempted to bite my portrait. Fortunately, Marvolo stopped her from sinking her fangs into my portrait, but I very much doubt she's forgiven me_," he said. "_Have you named your new companion?_"

Harry shook his head. "_I've no idea what to name a snake. The ones I've spoken to before have all had names,_" he said. "_I was hoping that you and Marvolo would be able to help me with that_," he added, blushing slightly.

Slytherin nodded, at the same time that Marvolo started chuckling.

_You are a rather peculiar child,_ Marvolo said.

"_I had an odd encounter with an African man when I was a young man. I believe his name was Ajani, if that strikes your fancy,_" Slytherin suggested, looking over at the snake.

"_Ajani_?" the cobra asked, trying the name out. "_I suppose it will do._"

Harry grinned but said nothing. "_You can spend as many nights here in my bed with me as you'd like, and I can probably sneak some food out of the Great Hall when I go in for meals. Is there anything else you need from me?_" he asked.

Ajani was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "_I can hunt on my own, though the bed is greatly appreciated. You will tell me if you are threatened, and I will likely join you in some of your classes once your term starts again_," he said. "_And I understand if you choose otherwise, but I would like to join you when you visit the Snake Lord_."

Harry nodded.

"_Do you have any rules for me_?" Ajani asked.

"_Just be careful who sees you and don't bite anyone unless I tell you to_," Harry said. "_You look like you're venomous_."

Slytherin cleared his throat, catching the attention of both boy and snake. "_Do not allow anyone to find you, but if you are found, you cannot allow anyone to know of your connection to the boy. Your blood has likely been changed permanently, and anyone who knows the older spells will be able to find out that you have been in the presence of your Snake Lord_," he said. "_You may bite anyone you see as a threat, but do not kill unless the boy gives you explicit permission_," he added.

Ajani nodded slightly.

Harry just looked up at Slytherin, posing a silent question.

"_You, child, are of my blood. If you are kin to this Snake Lord, then you are kin to me as well_," Slytherin said. He looked back over at Ajani. "_If you are able to find the entrance to my personal chambers, I will allow you to take shelter there, but only if you need it. I house a basilisk who will not take kindly to strangers coming inside his territory_," he said.

Ajani nodded again. He moved off the bed and once again began investigating the room.

"_The other door in here should be the bathroom,_" Harry said, sending a mild burst of wantless magic toward the door, opening it enough for Ajani to be able to move in and out without difficulty. "_Are you worried that someone is going to be hunting me and Ajani_?" he asked quietly.

"You are a powerful child, Harry, and you are only going to become more powerful as you grow," Slytherin said, switching back to a quiet English. "Not only that, but your continued association with the Dark Lord will permanently change parts of your magic. I expect that over the summer holidays, when the school is closed and you are spending your time with your kin, you will be practicing magic that will also alter your magic. That will have people yearning for your defeat."

"But I'm still just a kid."

Slytherin smiled slightly. "That changes nothing," he said. "You are powerful, and, as many of the other portraits have told me, the atmosphere of the world is leading to a war," he said. "Just making up your mind about the side that you will fight for, and that _is_ a decision that you are going to have to make, likely before you graduate. That one decision will create men and women who will want you dead."

Harry was silent. "I think I've already kind of made my choice," he said.

"Publicly, or with your actions?" Slytherin asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"I aided him," Harry said, unable to meet the portrait's eyes as he spoke. He settled for watching Ajani disappear into the bathroom. "Our kin."

Slytherin cocked his head slightly to the side, looking not unlike a curious, if deadly, cat.

"_One of his disciples sought shelter at my family home when I went to see my grandfather, and I sought the Dark Lord's help in making sure the man didn't die_," Harry said quietly. "_I helped to make sure that Evan Rosier lived, and he's apparently one of the Dark Lord's most faithful men_," he said.

Slytherin smirked, though there was a slightly worried look in his eyes. "_If that knowledge becomes public, it will certainly work to serve as your declaration of allegiances_," he said before falling silent for a few minutes. "From now on, you must be incredibly careful with yourself."

Harry leaned back a bit on his bed, waiting for the Founder to elaborate.

"Do everything you can to make sure that you aren't made vulnerable from now on. Your dorm mates are the sort of people who can be trusted, but be incredibly careful about what you say when you are in the presence of anyone you do not trust," Slytherin said. "And make sure that you're prepared to defend yourself at any given moment. The people who are already invested in this war will not hold back just because you are a child," he said.

Harry nodded, making sure he heard and understood everything that the man was telling him. "_Will the Snake Lord teach me ways to protect myself_?" he asked.

Slytherin smirked. "_No doubt he is making plans as we speak,_" he said.

_He has never allowed something as valuable as you to remain unprotected, child,_ Marvolo said. _I may be limited, but I will do everything I can to protect you until you are once again behind the walls of his haven_.

Harry smiled slightly.

"_You must also take great care to ensure that no one finds out about your ability to Speak to snakes_," Slytherin said. He paused, looking like he was having some sort of internal argument with himself. "_It is a gift that only my children possess, but it is a Dark talent. There are those who would take your ability as a sign that you're an enemy and they might take whatever chance they can to kill you because of it_," he said.

"That's why Marvolo hasn't let me tell anyone about it?" he asked.

Slytherin nodded.

Harry frowned, saying nothing as he watched Ajani come out of the bathroom.

"_This room is safe. For the moment, at least_," the cobra said, once again moving onto the bed next to Harry. "_Before you try it, I would ask that you don't pick me up without first telling me what you're doing. I have no intention of biting you, but I cannot guarantee I won't react out of instinct_," he said.

Harry smiled slightly but nodded.

Someone knocked on the door and Harry fell abruptly silent. He glanced up at Slytherin, who nodded to Harry and sent him a small smile before disappearing from the painting.

"_Ajani, hide_," Harry said, looking back at his bed, only to frown when he realized that the cobra had disappeared from sight. He looked around the room, making sure that nothing looked too out of place before wandlessly canceling the protective charms he'd cast over the room as he walked over to the door.

Lisette was on the other side, looking almost pleased with herself. She smirked down at Harry when she noticed the suspicious look on his face. "You look like you want help with your History of Magic homework," she said.

"Do I?"

"Snape's on his way back here, and my little birdies tell me he's pissed at you," she said, leaning against the doorframe. "The best way to keep him away from you is to make sure that you're not alone, and that you're doing something productive. I also know for a fact that our charming Head of House likes me just slightly more than he likes you," she said. "Not by much, but it'll be enough to keep him away from you for the moment."

"I'm at the top of my class in History of Magic," Harry said. "And I could write the essay in class and Binns would have no idea," he added.

Lisette grinned. "Transfigurations, then? Or maybe Defense Against the Dark Arts? Either way, I can show you a few tricks, if you'd like," she said. At Harry's skeptical look, she held up a small piece of parchment between her left index and middle fingers. "I've got a request to make sure that you are not left alone in the Common Room when Severus is around," she said. "You can read it if you'd like," she said.

He shook his head. "No thanks, I think I believe you," Harry said. He went back to his bed and opened his trunk, pulling out his schoolbag and taking out a parchment notebook and some of his books. "What tricks can you show me?" he asked.

"Just a few little ones that will help you torment that Weasley brat that kept tormenting you during your first term," she said with a knowing smile. "You don't need to stay in your uniform during holidays, you know."

Harry just shrugged as he pulled off his boots and set his school robe on top of his trunk. "I went exploring the dungeons earlier and these are the warmest clothes I have right now," he said.

Lisette nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. "Did you find the passage that takes you off school grounds?" she asked. "You come up in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, dead in centaur territory."

"But they aren't friendly with the students, are they?" he asked.

"Not even a little bit," she said. "Do you have your wand?"

"It's in my sock, yeah," Harry said.

She laughed quietly. "Alright, here's the first rule you need to know from me. Don't tell anyone where you keep your wand, even if it's only a temporary spot. It gives them an advantage that you can't afford."

Harry frowned slightly. "Why can't I afford it?"

She offered him a wry smile as they headed out into the Common Room. "It's something that no one can afford. This world isn't friendly right now and no one needs to know where you keep your wand or how you use your magic. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Do you have your wand?"

This time, Harry just smirked up at her, not saying a thing.

Lisette nodded. "Better. Any chance you still have a fang on you?"

"That's just entirely inappropriate. I'm an underage child and you should know better," Harry said with a mischievous grin, finding some degree of comfort in the slight weight of the fang on his chest, hidden under his shirt.

"Much better," Lisette said, chuckling as they made themselves comfortable on the couch closest to the fireplace. "Now, what would you like to do to the Weasley boy when the term starts again?" she asked.

"What are you willing to teach me?"

She never had the chance to answer that question, as Severus walked into the Common Room from the door connected to his office. "Potter, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing that I can think of at the moment, sir," Harry said, narrowing his eyes.

"Professor, I'm giving Harry some pointers in Charms," Lisette said, interrupting anything that either of them could have said.

Snape sent a pointed glare in her direction. "Then perhaps you should go into your rooms for the moment," he said.

It was clear to the three of them that it wasn't really a request, but Lisette just smiled placidly. Harry chose to edge away from her a bit, not liking the suddenly completely calm look in her eyes. Snape, however, seemed to ignore the look in the young woman's eyes.

"You can return to your tutoring session once Potter and I have finished our conversation," Snape said.

"Right, I'm sure I could, but I've never been good at following your orders. I'm afraid I take after my father in that regard." She smiled coldly. "As I recall, you and my father have had a few run-ins before. No doubt you remember him? His reputation does tend to precede him," she said, her tone mild. "I'm a touch saner than my father, but he and I are cut from the same block."

Harry had to bite her tongue at the shocked look on Snape's face, and he found himself wishing for a camera, or some way to preserve this memory forever.

"See, my father likes to take it slow with his victims," Lisette said, her smile taking on a less than sane look. "And when he's done he likes to show me his memories, so he can give me pointers about how to handle myself. He always tells me that he never wants to risk his baby girl getting hurt." She laughed quietly. "He's wanted my godmother to teach me some of what she knows as well. I'm sure you've met Bellatrix before?"

"Get to the point, Miss Rookwood," Snape said, though he was clearly less than comfortable at the moment.

"I'd be more than willing to teach Harry here some of what my father's taught me, and I'm becoming increasingly more confident that you would be my living mannequin," she said. "My godmother made sure that before I came here I was able to manipulate the free will of anyone who decided that I would be easy prey, sir, and she's had me practice those spells every time I go home."

"Miss Rookwood, you should be aware that threatening your Head of House is-"

"Oh, this isn't a threat, Professor," Lisette said quietly. "You'll know when I threaten you because I'll have you backed against a wall with my wand to your throat. Or something else equally as vital to, well, we'll call it your manhood." She watched as the true meaning sank into the Professor's mind. "Now, I believe I was giving Harry a few pointers for his Charms classes," she added. When the Professor said nothing, she smiled coldly up at him. "Goodbye, Professor."

After a few minutes, Snape walked away, looking close to furious.

"That was bloody brilliant," Harry said, watching Snape's retreat and only speaking once Snape was out of earshot.

Lisette didn't say anything. She poked the tip of her wand in Harry's side, giving him a mild shock and catching his full attention.

"Ow! Shit, what was that for?" Harry asked, rubbing his side and trying to edge further away from her.

She wasn't having it, choosing instead to wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him back to her side. "Now, pay close attention, my darling little firstie," she said with a crazed grin. "If you do one of my spells wrong, you could risk losing your thumbs and we really can't have something like that. Not with one so precious as you," she said. When Harry just nodded, not saying anything, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Summon me a rat and I'll show you what you can do to Weasley that is untraceable and only slightly illegal."

Harry nodded again, still not saying anything.

"_I think I like her_," Ajani said from somewhere in the room.

Harry glanced around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cobra. He didn't catch one, but he wasn't really expecting to see the snake with the shadows. The Common Room hadn't been kept fully lit during the term.

"Don't make me feel neglected here, Harry," Lisette said.

"I'm listening," Harry said quietly, looking back over at the young woman. "I'm ready. Teach me."


	10. Chapter 9

As usual, pretend there's a disclaimer here.

New year, new chapter? With a lack-of-snow delay to accompany it and everything! Okay, but seriously, I know it's been a while since y'all have had an update. I'm working on some chapters, but I'm in my last semester at my university, so I've got some free time, but most of that is spent panicking about the fact that I'm graduating in a few months. Anyway, I'll try to have at least three chapters up before I actually graduate, but I can't make any promises.

Sorry about the problems updating this chapter yesterday. Hopefully that problem won't happen again.

Other than that, enjoy! - and as usual, feedback is greatly appreciated!

**Chapter 9**

Overall, the rest of his holidays passed uneventfully. Harry spent a great deal of time in the Common Room, making sure all his homework was done and that he was prepared for whatever Weasley could deal out to him. When Lisette was around, she'd given him a few more lessons, all of while had gone quite spectacularly after the first lesson.

Of course, most of the things that she'd taught him were pretty much illegal, and a few of her favorites had mandatory sentences in Azkaban if it could be proven that they'd been cast. When Harry had pointed that out to her, she'd spent almost two full days teaching him how to take measures to ensure that he wasn't caught.

Slytherin had been quite interested to learn about some of the spells, and he'd decided to supplement those lessons by sharing a few of his favorites. Of course, he'd made Harry promise that he'd only practice those spells on charmed dummies in the dueling room in the Chamber. Marvolo had been less than pleased about that, but a few pointed threats from Slytherin about Harry's health being jeopardized had quelled his enthusiasm, at least temporarily.

The rest of his holidays had been less than pleasant, though.

Snape had grown increasingly hostile toward both Harry and Lisette, and he'd refused to let either of them leave the Slytherin House without having either a House Elf or some of the portraits monitoring their every movement. He hadn't said anything else to Lisette, though, saving most of his insults for Harry when the older girl wasn't around to overhear.

Marvolo had been less than pleased about the new developments, but he refrained from taking control and cursing the Potions Master within an inch of his life. Instead, he entertained himself by telling Harry to ask Ajani to fetch certain items from around the castle, though he refused to tell Harry exactly why he was looking for items - particularly those that came from Snape's private potions stores.

Each time Harry asked about it, Marvolo would avoid answering him, choosing instead to mention how skilled Ajani was getting, what with his ability to take things like a vial of basilisk venom from the man's desk without him noticing.

It hadn't taken long for Harry to just stop asking questions, just telling Marvolo that he wanted to know what Marvolo was planning before he took any specific action.

...

Almost before Harry realized it, it was the morning that students would return to the school for the start of the rest of the school year.

_You cannot laze about in bed all day, you know,_ Marvolo said about ten minutes after Harry woke up. _The Nott boy is going to want answers about some of the legal aspects that his grandfather was not able to circumvent._ He wasn't particularly pleased when Harry's only response was to roll over and pull his pillow over his head.

Ajani, who had adapted surprisingly well to dealing with both Marvolo and Harry, reacted with more amusement than irritation. "_Try to keep your conversation to yourself, would you? Some of us don't need to argue with themselves to try and get some more sleep,_" he said.

"_Sincerest apologies_," Harry muttered insincerely. He scowled when Marvolo delivered yet another of his frighteningly creative threats but reluctantly got out of bed and stretched. "_I'm not sure how the others are going to react when they find out that you showed up during holidays,_" he said, looking over at Ajani. "_I know you're practiced at not being seen around the castle, but Theo and Blaise aren't idiots and I'm willing to bet they'll be the first two to find out about you_."

"_They are not as prepared as I am,_" Ajani said quietly. When he noticed that Harry had stood up, he quickly moved into the still-warm spot on the bed. "_And I have already spoken with your ancestor in the portrait. He's already shown me a few places to hide if anyone gets too suspicious. I'm still not permitted to go into the Chamber without you accompanying me_," he said. "_Something about a territorial basilisk who would see me as a late night snack and nothing more_."

Harry grinned down at the cobra but didn't say anything. He stretched a bit before opening the top drawer of his nightstand to pick up his wand, having kept it there after Marvolo had sounded a bit too enthusiastic to try out one of the spells that Slytherin had told them about.

_You've left a letter in there_, Marvolo said. _Isn't that the one that your House Elf delivered after you went to your family Manor?_

_I think so_, Harry said. _But Dixie's more my grandfather's Elf than mine_.

Marvolo chuckled quietly. _Perhaps in terms of the length of time she's worked for him, but legally, since you're the last living member of the Potter family, Dixie belongs to you. She will be loyal to you, and when you reach the age of majority, she will be legally obligated to swear an Oath of Loyalty to you._

_I don't want to force her into anything_.

Marvolo laughed again. _When you met her, she was excited enough that I thought she might wet herself. On top of that, you were kind to her and you took action in a way that proved you are mature beyond your years. I know you impressed our kinsman, and I would be willing to wager that you not only impressed your grandfather, but you also likely earned his approval as far as becoming the next Lord of the Potter family. _

Harry frowned but didn't say anything, not entirely sure how to respond. Instead, he picked up the envelope, looking it over. The handwriting on it was completely foreign to him, and only barely legible.

"You are up rather early," Slytherin said as he walked into his portrait. "I thought you'd have rather enjoyed your last few minutes to be alone in your dorm room," he said.

"Marvolo didn't let that happen," Harry said, running a hand through his hair, still unused to the length. Lisette had spelled it long last night when she'd caught Harry unawares, and he hadn't seen her since then to ask her to lift the hex. Marvolo, who'd been thoroughly amused with Harry's frustration, had told Harry to keep it longer, even after the hex was lifted. Something about abiding by the proper customs of Pureblood society, though Harry hadn't understood all of it - he still didn't understand all the complexities of the elite culture.

"The rest of the students should be arriving shortly after breakfast," Slytherin said. "I doubt you'll be able to make it back into my Chamber for a number of months, but it should come as some consolation that it won't be as easy for the Headmaster and your Head of House to monitor your every movement."

Harry frowned slightly. He hadn't remembered telling the Founder about that.

_The man is not a fool, and the two imbeciles were not being anywhere near as subtle as they thought they were_, Marvolo said. _I didn't mention their behavior to the Founder, though_.

_I didn't think you had_, Harry said quietly. "How'd you know about that?" he asked, looking up at Slytherin.

"The two of them might fancy themselves powerful in this school, but I am a Founder, and as such, I will always have more power in this school than either of them," Slytherin said. "And as should be obvious in this school, the portraits have their loyalties."

Harry nodded, still slightly confused. "How did you know it was both of them?"

"Every portrait in this castle, regardless of loyalties, know better than to lie when a Founder asks them a question," Slytherin said.

"There are portraits of the other Founders?"

"I think Rowena is the only one left here. The portraits of Godric and Helga that were in the caste were taken out and they've been hung in their family Manors. They can access the castle, but they haven't done so for a number of years now."

"Why not?"

Slytherin frowned. "They've chosen to stay with their Heirs," he said. "Unfortunately, my line has all but died out. You and Marvolo are the only two left."

"Oh."

Slytherin nodded, not saying anything for a few minutes.

Harry thought about things for a minute. "If you'd like, I could talk to Charlus and I could bring one of your portraits to the Manor," he said. "You two would get along, I think."

The corners of the portrait's lips quirked up. "Try not to get into any trouble," he said.

"I didn't offend you, did I?"

"Not at all, Harrison," he said. "I just need some time to think on your suggestion."

Harry nodded and watched the man leave.

_That was a generous offer_, Marvolo said quietly. _Though I suppose it's not too much of a surprise, coming from you_.

_He seemed offended, though_.

Marvolo chuckled. _It is not every day that one would come across an heir who makes such an offer without any prompting,_ he said.

Harry nodded slightly, not saying anything for a moment. Finally, he turned to Ajani. "_I'm going to take a bath. If Snape comes in, hide, and please don't bite him yet_."

"_You're planning on killing your Head of House_?" Slytherin asked. "_Even for one of my own line, that is vicious_."

Harry shrugged. "It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Has he done more than monitoring your movements?" Slytherin asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Not really," Harry said. "It doesn't change the fact that he's a git and I want to see him bleed." Without waiting for a response, he headed into the bathroom, quickly murmuring the spell that started the bathtub faucets. He disrobed and bathed quicker than usual, feeling increasingly on edge, though he didn't know why, exactly.

_Your anxiety is grating on my nerves, child. What's wrong_? Marvolo asked after a moment.

_I don't know for sure. As soon as I told Slytherin that I want Snape bloody, it started to feel almost like someone was watching the room_, Harry said after a moment. _There aren't any spells that can monitor what someone says, are there_?

Marvolo was silent for a moment. _None that are easily administered without the use of blood, and I very much doubt anyone's kept a supply of yours. Unless the Headmaster is hiding a Dark orientation, and I will promise you now that the Lord of Light wouldn't be able to conjure such powerful Dark magic_.

Harry frowned and closed his eyes. _What about Snape? If the Headmaster was keeping my blood, he could have given it to Snape, and we've both agreed that he's got the right orientation for that_, he said.

_It's possible. When you're finished bathing, tell Ajani what you're thinking. He'll take the message back to our kin and he'll look into things._

_As much as I agree with you, Marvolo, that still doesn't really comfort me_, he said. _It's not going to change things at the moment_, he said.

_No_, Marvolo said quietly. _No, I know that, but once the Dark Lord is told about this possible new development, he will put into motion a plan that will keep you safe. I've told you before that you've become precious to him, and he will not like someone taking action to try and steal you away from him. Even if it's just a tracking spell._

Harry stayed silent, knowing better than to argue with Marvolo on that matter.

_You will tell Ajani, I trust? He will relay the message to the Dark Lord when it's safe._

Harry nodded. _It does sound like the smart thing to do, and you've never led me wrong before. I just don't want to be pulled out of school. I like it here._

Marvolo sent him a wave of warmth, enveloping him in as much a hug as he was able. _If he makes that request, I will do what I can to ensure you are allowed to stay. He trusts us, but that doesn't mean he's willing to risk your safety and your life just to indulge your preferences_, he said.

Harry smiled slightly, not entirely pleased about the statement. Still, it was better than nothing. He closed his eyes again and dunked himself under the bathtub one last time, waiting there for a moment before surfacing and getting out of the bath.

As soon as he walked out of the bathroom, wrapped up in a towel, he found Ajani waiting for him. "_Is everything alright_?" he asked quietly, casting a look around the room to see if anything had been changed while he was in the bathroom. He was only slightly mollified to find that everything was the same. "_Did something happen_?"

"_The Head of your House came in and inspected the room_," the cobra said, following Harry back to his bed. He watched as Harry pulled a pair of black trousers and a green cashmere sweater. "_He didn't search through your things, but he did something to the portrait frame. The Speaker hasn't been back since_," he said.

_Odds are that he's done something to try and spy on you_, Marvolo said, an irritated edge to his voice. _Put up a privacy shield now_.

Harry frowned but did as told.

Ajani moved into a striking position, looking around. "_Is there a threat_?" he asked.

"_The Head of House might be spying on me. It won't be safe for us to talk without a privacy charm for now_," Harry said. "_I'll talk to Slytherin in the hall later today and see if he knows anything_," he said.

Ajani relaxed slightly but didn't say anything else. Instead, he moved off the bed and inspected the room for any signs that things had changed while Harry got dressed for the day. "_I don't think anything has changed_," he said once he was back on the bed.

Harry nodded. "_Will you be joining me in classes today_?" he asked.

"_I will be more occupied by searching through the castle for any possible escapes_," the cobra said.

"_There should be a way out in the dungeons,_" Harry said absently as he laced up his leather boots. He really did have to thank Theo for everything he'd done for him. "_The Headmaster believed me when I told him I'd accidentally found a way off school grounds while I was exploring the dungeons, so either he was indulging me or there really is a way out through there._"

Marvolo chuckled. _There is a way out in the dungeons. Slytherin crafted something of an emergency exit that is attached to his chambers. It was meant to ensure that he and his heirs would be able to safely leave the castle should it ever come under attack_, he said. _The next time you've got the chance to speak with Slytherin in his Chambers, ask him if he'll let Ophion show you where it is_.

Harry nodded, looking over at Ajani. "_Don't get caught_," he said. "_And don't bite anyone unless you've got no other option_."

"_I'll return well before your curfew this evening. Now, if you would be so kind as to let me out of this room, I'll start my search for a way out_," he said. At Harry's nod, Ajani waited almost patiently for Harry to open the door to the dorm room before making his way out.

Only after the cobra was out of his sight did Harry shut the door and cancel the Privacy Charm around himself.

_The two of you get along surprisingly well, considering the stress you're both under_, Marvolo said.

_Is he reporting back to the Dark Lord_? Harry asked.

Marvolo made a sound that seemed to be one of approval. _It wouldn't surprise me_, he said. _Don't forget to read that letter before you leave the room_.

"Right," Harry murmured to himself. He walked over to his nightstand, thinking over the numerous locking spells that Marvolo had taught him. If this letter was as important as Marvolo thought it was, no doubt there would be a need to ensure no one else could get to it without him knowing about it.

_Put up a Privacy Charm before you read the letter, and keep it up until after you've put it back and locked the drawer_, Marvolo said before Harry opened the letter. _Until we know for sure what's been done to the portrait frame, it would be best for you to keep a similar charm up whenever you're in the room._

_I'll tell the others the same thing once they all get back_, Harry said as he did as told. _I won't let them get into trouble because of me_.

_Wise thinking_, Marvolo said. _It would also be wise for you to take measures to ensure that you cannot be followed or monitored from any sort of distance, and if you or I notice any more extensive tracking, I expect you to tell the Dark Lord without delay_.

Harry nodded. _I will_, he said. _And I'll tell Ajani about the possible tracking spells once he gets back from whatever he's doing. _He sat on the bed, unconsciously strengthening the Privacy Charm as he sat on his bed and opened his nightstand drawer. The envelope hadn't changed from when he'd first put it in there, though he hadn't particularly expected it to change.

_I can't feel any magic on the envelope or on the letter, _Marvolo said quietly. _It seems safe enough, and I doubt your grandfather would knowingly attempt to harm you. Stop with the suspense and open the bloody letter_, he said when Harry hesitated at the mention of potential spell work being attached to the letter.

Grinning to himself, Harry opened the envelope and right away, a simple black ring fell out of the envelope and landed on the floor by his feet. Harry frowned and picked the thing up. It was rather nondescript, appearing to be just a simple black band. _Marvolo, what do you think about this_? he asked, looking for something unique about the ring. At the very least, he knew it wasn't an official ring, since each of those would have had the Potter family crest engraved on them.

_It doesn't seem to be cursed, and I doubt your grandfather would allow Dixie to pass along something that would harm you_, he said. _Read the letter. There may be an explanation about the ring in there_.

Harry didn't say anything as he continued inspecting the ring, still not finding anything. Finally, he looked back up at the letter. _What if it doesn't say anything about the ring, though_?" he asked.

_Then write a letter of your own and ask your grandfather for an explanation_, Marvolo said, sounding increasingly impatient. _Though there is no way to know until you actually read the letter._

Harry smirked. _Of course_.

Marvolo scoffed quietly. _About damn time, child, and you should take better care to mind your cheek around me_, he said.

At that, Harry just laughed and sat back on the bed, setting the ring on the nightstand and making himself more comfortable as he unfolded the letter and started reading it.

...

Dear Harrison,

Before I start discussing the particularly important matters that I feel must be settled before our next meeting, I must make it clear, and apologize, perhaps. With my death, I lost my magic, and I have yet to find a way for a non-corporeal form as is my current state to physically hold a quill - or any other sort of writing instrument. So, therefore, I've asked Dixie to dictate for me. She is unused to this sort of thing, and her handwriting may not be entirely legible. For that, I apologize. I will look into finding a simpler way of communicating with you, though I can make no promises. There isn't much of a market for conversing with a ghost by letters.

Now, onto the important things.

I realize that we only met this morning and you may be unused to this familiarity so soon after meeting, but I find I cannot allow myself to maintain proper decorum with you. You are, after all, the last person alive with Potter blood in your veins. You are also, and more importantly, my grandson. I cannot understand what an unexpected pleasure it was to finally meet you. My son was always a fool, and while you were still an infant and he still alive, he and Lily both seemed to take pleasure in withholding you from me in some sort of punishment for my refusal to declare an open side in the war they were so eager to fight.

It pains me to know that I cannot apologize enough for my absence in your life before this morning, and the abuse you suffered because you were not within my care. Rest assured that I will do everything within my admittedly limited scope of power to ensure that you are not returned to the care of your mother's Muggles. From what you have told me about them, they deserve Azkaban, at the very least. I find myself wondering how to ensure they suffer such a fate, of Azkaban and so much worse.

I owe you so much for my neglect, unintentional though it may have been. Please, if there is anything I can do for you, ask. I fear it will not be enough to make even your suffering, but it is the only start I can offer at the moment.

I also find myself in debt to you for your actions in respect to Evan's unexpected appearance this afternoon. I firmly believe that your quick thinking, and your connections, prevented his death today. He will not be keen to admit as much to you in person, but Evan does owe you a life debt for your actions today. Two, in truth, since you chose not to report his presence to any MInistry officials when you had the chance.

Realizing this may be an inappropriate request, given Evan's status as a wanted man, and the fact that we have only recently met each other, I fear offending you, but I will take the risk and request that you consider meeting Evan in person once his health returns to him. This is a purely sentimental request on my part - I merely hope that the two of you will get along, as you two are all the family I have left in this world.

Regardless of your decision about my request, I want you to know that the Potter Manor is always open to you. I hope, in time, you will come to regard it as a proper home, unlike the hovel belonging to your mother's relatives. (I assure you I have never seen their house, but in my lifetime there have been perhaps two other places that have felt as much like home as the Manor.)

If you would be amenable to such, I would be more than willing - almost overeager, I fear - to start the process of legally naming you Heir to the Potter Lordship. If you allow me to do so, the title will offer you a greater degree of freedom in the circles of our society that still abide by the traditional way of doing things. Naming you as the Heir will also allow you to spend your holidays in the Potter Manor, or in any of the other Potter family estates should the Manor not meet with your approval, rather than forcing you to return to your late mother's unfortunate relatives.

In what I hope will be interpreted as a show of good faith, I have included a Portkey ring with this letter. It is a simple black ring, which is an easier thing to keep track of than having a marble in your pocket all the time, though you are certainly welcome to keep the emergency Portkey if you'd like. In order to activate this Portkey, merely state the name 'Ignotus' while you're holding or wearing the ring and it will bring you to the Master Suite in the Manor.

If there's anything you need while you're still at school, the delivery of this letter serves as the proof that Dixie can come to you. However, if you do call her while you're still at school, I would request that you be discreet - the majority of our society is unaware that the Potter family still has a house elf, and I suspect much of our world thinks you completely ignorant of proper society and your heritage. Shameful assumptions, true, but it may be better kept that way, at least for the time being.

Dixie can also serve as a messenger if you'd like to send letters to someone outside of the school without risking interception. The owls are safe enough, I suppose, but Dixie has never allowed a witch or wizard to read a letter that was not addressed directly to them. She is one of the most trustworthy House Elves I've ever come across, and I very much doubt she will change, unless you deliberately mistreat her.

My final point, Harrison, is one that I cannot stress enough. Be safe. Please, above all else, keep yourself safe. I find myself already growing fond of you, and I would not like to learn that you've been hurt or killed at such a young age.

Not only is this a dangerous time in our world, as I fear another war, worse than the previous one, will break out, likely before you graduate. It is unfortunate, but I cannot bring you home and keep you sequestered away until I feel it is safe for you to be out in the world.

Your association with the current Dark Lord is something that worries me, though I cannot honestly say that it is completely surprising, given that when he and I were in school together, I frequently sought to share his company. He is an amazing man, with an almost frightening intelligence. You seem to be in his favor, at least for the time being, but I have seen the man's temper change on a moment's notice.

Keep your association with the Dark Lord to yourself. If that becomes public knowledge, you will find yourself in increased danger. The war will be made so much more dangerous for you if your alliances become public knowledge, with or without your consent.

I already dread having to see your corpse buried in the family graveyard. I fear your death will break me.

Be very careful, Harrison. If you are only willing to grant me one favor, let it be that.

The Manor will always be open to you, should you wish to take shelter here, and I truly hope to see you again soon.

Yours,

Charlus Orien Potter

Former Lord of the Potter Estate

...

_That was rather enlightening_, Marvolo said once Harry had read through the letter for a second time. _What are you going to do with the ring_?

_I'll keep it with me_, Harry said. _That way, if Snape and the Headmaster are really following me, and if it gets any worse than it already is, I'll be able to get out of the castle without having to risk anyone else getting hurt in the process_.

Marvolo was silent for a moment. _Smart thinking_, he said after a moment.

Harry smiled slightly and picked up the ring, once again turning it over in his palm. _You don't like that idea, do you_?

_It is a wise idea, child. The fact that you have a need to carry around such an escape from the men who are meant to teach you does not sit well with me_, he said after a moment. _Do not wear it on your hand. I have a feeling that Snape will get suspicious about the sudden appearance of jewelry like that._

Harry nodded. _I think I've got a leather cord in my trunk_, he said, making his way over to his trunk. Without waiting for Marvolo's response, he murmured the counter to the locking spell that Lisette had taught him when he'd shown it to her. He sorted through his things, once again reminded just how grateful he was for Theo's friendship, until he found the length of cord that he'd been looking for. It didn't take him too long to find it.

He looped the cord around the ring, making sure there was no way for it to come loose, before he wrapped the cord around his neck and knotted it. Once that was done, he tugged on the cord to make sure it wouldn't come loose. He frowned. _Would the locking spell keep the necklace from coming loose_? he asked.

_I suppose so_, Marvolo said. _Though I can't be certain. I've never held any interest in cosmetic applications for spells like that. You might try asking the Rookwood girl about that_, he said.

Harry nodded. He hesitated for a moment before taking hold of the knot in the necklace and thinking over the locking spells he knew. Finally, he settled on one of the Parseltongue charms that Marvolo had taught him. He strengthened his Privacy Charm before quietly uttering the spell.

Nothing drastic happened, though the cord momentarily grew warm to the touch.

_It seems to have worked_, Marvolo said after a few minutes. _Your spellwork is still rather remarkable for your age_.

_Thanks_, Harry said, blushing. It wasn't often than Marvolo complimented him like that. _Hopefully I don't have to use the Portkey_.

Marvolo made a sound that Harry supposed signified his agreement. _As loathe as I am to admit it, that ring may well end up saving your life one day. And you have to take care to keep both your ring and the fang hidden_, he said.

At the mention of it, Harry's hands strayed to the fang, which he wore just about every day. _I know. They're both secrets that only you and me can know about_, he said.

Marvolo chuckled. _Very much so._

_Can I tell the Dark Lord about the ring when I see him again_? Harry asked almost hesitantly.

_I encourage you to do so, actually_, he said. _It may end up helping the two of you formulate an escape plan in case that ever becomes necessary._

_I'm not too worried about it right now_, Harry said. _No one's made any serious threats against me yet, and besides, I don't think Snape or the Headmaster really have any legal grounds to keep following me. _

_They don't, but matters of legality have never been too important to either of them. Someone will notice your necklaces eventually_, Marvolo said, sounding more amused than concerned, though they both knew that this was a serious conversation. Hopefully he was doing his best to put his irritation out of his mind, even if only for a short while.

Harry grinned. _Probably,_ he said. _But no one's noticed the fang yet, and there have been a few times that I've forgotten to tuck it under my shirt in the Common Room. Besides, if anyone starts asking too many questions, I can just use the Portkey and hide out with Charlus until it's safe to come back_.

Marvolo was silent for a long moment. _And what if it doesn't become safe for you to come back_?

_I'll find someone to tutor me_, Harry said, thinking about it quickly.

_In about a week, if nothing's changed, write a letter to your grandfather and tell him about everything that's going on around the castle_, Marvolo said quietly. _Don't leave anything out. If he knows about the situation, it will be much easier to handle a sudden withdrawal from the school_.

Harry nodded. He stood up and straightened his clothes, already thinking about what to put in that letter. Before he got too involved with that line of thought, his stomach growled loudly.

At the sound, Marvolo laughed outright. _Focus on things like that later,_ he said, still chuckling. _For now, get some breakfast and try not to act like too much has changed since you last saw your classmates_, he said.

Harry nodded again, blushing bright red. He glanced down at his clothes, making sure that he didn't look too disheveled. In what was quickly becoming a habit of his, he smoothed down his shirt and made sure that his boots were laced properly. He put the letter back into the nightstand drawer and locked it with another Parseltongue spell.

_Don't forget your wand_, Marvolo said as Harry stood up and cancelled the Privacy Charm around himself.

_Right, thanks_, Harry said, grabbing the wand and making sure that it was fastened in the holster that had been a late Yule gift from Daphne. Once all that was done, he headed out into the Common Room, wondering if he would see Lisette before he made his way to the Great Hall.

As he'd hoped, he found her sitting on the couch that she'd seemed to have claimed as her own over the winter break. This time, though, there wasn't a book in her lap, and Harry didn't see her wand in either of her hands or in her lap, but that didn't mean much. She'd been almost frighteningly enthusiastic about making sure that Harry learned that a well-hidden wand was key to survival, whether the battle was obvious or not.

"Hey kiddo," she said, looking over at him as soon as he shut the door to his dorm room. "I thought you might be waking up soon."

"So you decided to wait for me?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I saw Snape lurking around here somewhere and I don't want him trying to give you detention for some bullshit reason. Once the other students get back he'll lay off a bit because there will be more witnesses around to prevent him from acting like a git, but until the two of us are sitting in the Great Hall together, you're going to be just like my little brother," she said.

Harry frowned. "I thought you were an only child."

"I am," she said with a smirk. As she stood up, she tugged on his hair, which he'd left loose. "You look rather good with long hair, though it might be easier to work with if you tie it back."

"I don't have anything to tie it back with," he said.

Lisette nodded and quickly tapped her wand against his head.

Harry held still as his hair was quickly spun into a braid that reached to the middle of his back. Once it was finished, he reached back to touch the braid. "It's shorter," he said, surprised.

"Only a little bit," she said. "Don't try to cut it short when you think I'm not looking, otherwise I'll spell it floor-length and bright green."

"Wasn't even thinking about it, actually," Harry said.

_Liar_, Marvolo said suddenly, chuckling.

_Shove it_, Harry said half-heartedly.

_Don't get irritated with me because she's prepared her threats before administering them_, he said. _Play nice_, Marvolo added quickly before receding back a bit.

"Are you ready, kid?" Lisette asked.

Harry nodded, offering her a slight smile.

She grinned down at him, her expression almost sharklike. "Then let's go get some breakfast and make your Head of House nervous about you being corrupted by the daughter of a man loyal to the allegedly dead Dark Lord."

"Allegedly dead?" Harry asked quietly.

Her smile disappeared, quickly replaced with a warning look. She motioned toward his room, shaking her head when Harry opened his mouth to say something. Only when the door was shut and locked behind them, and after she'd put up some of the strongest Privacy Charms that she'd taught Harry, did she speak.

"Listen to me very carefully," she said.

Harry nodded, closing his mouth with an audible click.

Lisette was silent for a moment, eyeing Harry, the warning look still in her eyes. "There was a battle just a few years after you were born, and everyone in the school apart from you, me and half a dozen others, are under the impression that the Dark Lord was struck with a curse that was later proven fatal," she said. "If anyone else tries to say anything else, deny it. You're clearly an important figure already, in spite of your age, so you've got more at stake than a number of people."

"But won't he get mad if I deny his existence?"

She offered him a small, almost nervous smile. "He's been laying low for close to a decade now, Harry, and his army is just as strong, if not stronger, than before he supposedly fell," she said. "He's been going about things in a more subtle manner, and when he chooses to make it his presence known to our world again, he will make that announcement himself."

Harry nodded.

"Besides, our world is still not friendly toward Dark wizards," Lisette said quietly. "If anyone so much as makes an inference about being in the same circle as the Dark Lord or his allies, there's a mandatory sentence in Azkaban," she said. "So deny it."

Harry thought about what she'd just said. "I haven't been in this world for very long," he said slowly, thinking about how to put into words what he was thinking. "And I've spent most of my life with Muggles. I've never heard anything about a Dark Lord before," he said.

Lisette nodded. "Good. Put some emotion into that and you might actually be believable," she said.

Harry smiled slightly. "What do you say when people ask you about things like this?"

"My father was a barmy git who liked to fuck the people he killed," she said with a slight grimace. "He left when I was still a little kid to chase after the ghost of his beloved Lord, and he left me to live with my cousins because some inane cause was more important to him than his daughter," she said.

_Convincing_, Marvolo said. _Though I can't say how much of that disgust is real and how much is falsified. Rookwood was neither mentally stable nor a pleasant man to be around, as I recall_.

"And that works?" Harry asked.

Lisette shrugged. "My cousins have a small farm in Scotland and they made it a point to abstain from taking sides in the war. So people either think they did a good job raising me or they think that I think my father's truly an asshole."

"Is he dead? Your father?"

"Not as much as some people would hope," she said, the corners of her lips quirking up into a slight smirk. "He's always been a hardy sort of jackass."

At that, Harry laughed quietly.

"You've got everything straightened out now, I hope?" Lisette asked.

Harry nodded. "I know nothing," he said, frowning. "And the inference otherwise is entirely inappropriate."

"I'm so glad you pick up on things as quickly as you do," she said, canceling the Charms and walking with him out of the dorm room. "Now, if we get to the Great Hall quick enough, we might be able to get the best of the French toast and Belgian waffles before the gamekeeper eats the kitchen empty."

Harry laughed again and followed the sixth year out of the Slytherin Nest.


End file.
